
Glass JBtfAJLiL 

Book — 

Copyright^ 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



FOOD FOR THE SOUL 



BY 



REV. ROBERT L. SELLE, D. D. 



PENTECOSTAL PUBLISHING CO. 
LOUISVILLE, KY. 






COPYRIGHT 1915 



BY 



ROBERT L. SELLE 



MAR 25 lBI5 LC Contro1 Number 

©CI.A398088 

tmp96 029004 



WRITINGS OF 

Rev. Robert L. Selle, D. D. 

Food for the Soul Cloth $1.00 

Which Church Would Jesus 

Join? Cloth .50 

Winning Men to Christ. .Cloth .50 

Sin: Its Origin, Purpose, 

Power, Result and Cure Cloth .50 

Old-Time Religion .... Paper . 1 



PENTECOSTAL PUBLISHING CO., 
LOUISVILLE, KY. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



PAGE. 

Heart Unfoldings 7 

The Works of the Destroyer Destroyed . . \1 

Christian Unity 27 

The Rich Man and Lazarus . 37 

The Other Way 45 

The Lord is My Shepherd 55 

Jesus Our Example 63 

The Value of Christ's Blessing . 71 

Our Common Enemies 77 

The Unprofitable Servant 83 

Following Jesus 89 

Let the Dead Bury Their Dead 1 03 

The Secret of Success 1 09 

Filled With the Holy Ghost 115 

Taking the Name of the Lord in Vain ... 1 23 



Disappointed Seekers 1 29 

The Consecrated Life 133 

Jesus Feeding the Multitude 141 

Fellowship With Jesus 1 45 

The Cross and the Crosses 1 53 

Wasted His Substance 157 

Obtaining and Retaining Salvation 1 65 

The Church of the Thessalonians 1 75 

The Prayer of Jesus 1 83 

Jesus and Peter 187 

Human Agency in Revivals 191 

The Limitless Promise 197 

Consecration to God . . . . 203 

The Church at Sardis 211 

All Things Through Christ 217 

Instantaneous Deliverance . . . 22 1 



TWENTY-THIRD PSALM. 

The Lord is my Shepherd ; I shall not want. 
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: 
He leadeth me beside the still waters. He re- 
storeth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of 
righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though 
I walk through the valley of the shadow of 
death, I will fear no evil : for thou art with me ; 
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou 
prepares t a table before me in the presence of 
mine enemies : thou anointest my head with oil ; 
my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and 
mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; 
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for- 
ever. 



HEART UNFOLDINGS. 

"Let the words of my mouth, and the med- 
itation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy 
sight, O Lord, my strength and my Re- 
deemer" Psa. 19:14. 

THE GUARDIAN ANGEL. 

The guardian angel fair is with me everywhere; 
He's always by my side, my waiting steps to guide; 
He understands my will — God's purpose to fulfil, 
In all I do and say throughout my life's whole day. 

If dangers linger near, I need not have a fear; 
The guardian angel stands with sword and shield in 

hands 
Close by me day and night, my battles all to fight; 
And in his keeping I, am where no foes defy. 

He sees me when I bring my offerings to the King, 
And hears the prayer my heart doth to the Lord 

impart, 
For pow'r and strength and grace to occupy the place 
Of victor over sin, with Christ enthroned within. 

The guardian angel fair is with me everywhere; 
He guards and keeps in love and points to heav'n 

above, 
And tells me of the King whose praises I may sing 
Far up above the sky, in glory by and by. 

(7) 



8 Food For The Soul. 



AT THE BEAUTIFUL GATE. 

I know there's a hand that is reaching for mine 

At the beautiful gate on high; 
That hand I shall know when I clasp it in mine 

At the beautiful gate on high. 

I know there's an eye that is looking for me 

At the beautiful gate on high; 
That eye, beaming bright, I shall know when I see 

At the beautiful gate on high. 

I know there's an ear that is list'ning to catch, 

At the beautiful gate on high, 
The sound of my feet as I'm nearing the goal, 

At the beautiful gate on high. 

I know I shall see all my -loved ones who've gone, 

At the beautiful gate on high; 
And there happy be 'mid the glorified throng 

At the beautiful gate on high. 



THE MERITED CROWN. 

The merited crown is the crown for me, 
The merited crown no richer can be; 
The merited crown no money can buy, 
The merited crown no foe can defy. 



Food For The Soul. 



The merited crown is the crown I seek, 
The merited crown for humble and meek, 
The merited crown no factr'y can make, 
The merited crown no rival can take. 

The merited crown is won without strife 
By anyone who will give it his life, 
And live to one aim in word and in deed, 
Forsaking all else that he may succeed. 

The merited crown is the crown of crowns; 
Its beauty is rare, its jewels are fair; 
It glows in the night and it dazzles with light 
In beauty supreme, like a heavenly dream. 



NATIONAL PROHIBITION. 

The North and South agree 
Our Nation shall be free 

From rum's death reign; 
The sons of "blue" and "gray" 
Their country's call obey 
And rush to arms today 

Vict'ry to gain. 

The curse that blights our race 
Shall have no more a place 
In our domain; 



1 Food For The Soul. 



Our Nation's flag shall wave 
In triumph o'er the grave, 
Of alcohol, though brave, 
Completely slain. 

Long has this giant great, 
Wrought death within our gate 

But he must go; 
United we will stand 
And under God's command 
We'll banish from our land 

The liquor foe! 

King Alcohol, good-by; 
Your thrones all crumbled lie 

From sea to sea; 
Our sons and daughters, fair, 
May go forth anywhere 
From rum's destructive snare 

Forever free! 



MY ANSWER TO MOTHER. 

If I could see my mother now, 

Aglow with heaven's light and love, 

Forever free from want and care 
In heaven her happy home above, 
I'd tell her I am coming on. 



Food For The Soul. 1 1 

If I could see my mother's smile 
And beck'ning hand far o'er the sea 

And hear her call "Come on my child 
I'm waiting here in heaven for thee" 
I'd tell her I am coming on. 

If I could hear my mother sing 
"The song of Moses and the Lamb," 

So rich, so sweet, so full of praise, 
With angel choir at God's right hand, 
I'd tell her I am coming on. 



'TIS JESUS. 

Somebody's near me when I pray, 
List'ning to every word I say; 
Somebody feels my burden, great, 
Somebody's hand will lift its weight, — 
'Tis Jesus, 'tis Jesus, 'tis Jesus. 

Somebody sees my falling tears, 
Somebody knows my hopes and fears; 
Somebody walks along life's way, 
Close to my side by night, by day, — 
'Tis Jesus, 'tis Jesus, 'tis Jesus. 



1 2 Food For The Soul. 

Somebody's strength will make me strong, 
Somebody's joy will be my song, 
Somebody's love will fill my soul. 
Somebody's blood will make me whole, — 
'Tis Jesus, 'tis Jesus, 'tis Jesus. 



WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER. 

We're working together, my Jesus and I; 
He tells me His will and I gladly comply; 
I understand Him and He understands me, 
And working is resting while Jesus I see. 

We're working together, my Jesus and I; 

In order to help me He comes from on high; 

The mountains He makes into valleys replete, 

The hills and rough places He smoothes for my feet. 

While working with Jesus the labor is light, 
There's strength for the day and there's songs in 

the night; 
And when I get hungry He gives me that meat, 
The world does not know, but to me it is sweet. 

We're working together, my Jesus and I, 
Yes, working together, my Jesus and I; 
He shows me the way and I find it so true, — 
He carries my burden and carries one too. 



Food For The Soul. 13 



THE GOOD OLD WAY. 

The good old-fashioned way I love, 
The way our fathers trod; 

It leads from earth to heaven above- 
It is the way to God. 

The good old way is heav'n below — 

It's good enough for me; 
To walk with Jesus and to know 

His blood, — it makes me free. 

The good old-fashioned way's my own; 

The saints arrayed in white, 
Singing and shouting 'round the throne 

Found in this way delight. 



I'M COMING HOME. 

I'm coming home, I'm coming home; 

My way has been so full of sin; 

But I'll not stay another day 
From Jesus, true, I'm coming home. 

Im coming home, I'm coming home; 
He speaks in love and calls above: 
I hear His voice and He's my choice, 

I'm coming home, Im coming home. 



14 Food For The Soul. 

I'm coming home, I'm coming home; 

The night is dark, no voice says "hark — " 
The day is long, I hear no song, 

But Father knows I'm coming home. 

I'm coming home, I'm coming home; 

A mansion fair is ready there; 

And loved ones wait inside the gate, 
And that's my home, my home, sweet home. 



WHERE JESUS IS 'TIS HEAVEN 
NOW. 

Once heaven seemed a place afar, 
Beyond the clouds and stars on high, 

Whose gate of glory stood ajar 

For happy pilgrims when they die. 

But since I sought and found my Lord, 
And He my heart doth cleanse 

And keeps my soul in sweet accord 

With His own will, and blessing sends. 

I find that where my Jesus is 
'Tis heaven now, sweet heaven now; 

On land or sea, no matter where, 
Where Jesus is, 'tis heaven now. 



Food For The Soul. 1 5 



WALKING WITH JESUS. 

Walking with Jesus day by day. 
Talking with Hi malong life's way, 
Hearing His voice in accents sweet, 
Making my joy in Him complete — 
Is Heaven to my soul. 

Walking with Jesus as the Light 
Shining away the darkest night, 
Flooding my soul with Love Supreme, 
Holding me with His hand unseen — 
Is Heaven to my soul. 

Walking with Jesus when I'm weak, 
Taking Him as the strength I seek; 
Walking with Him when I am strong, 
Singing His praise in sweetest song — 
Is Heaven to my soul. 

Walking with Jesus, Savior, Friend, 
Knowing on Him I can depend, 
Feeling His strength and pow'r and love, 
All the way to my Home above — 
Is Heaven to my soul. 

Walking with Jesus, O how blest! 
Weary and worn, He gives me rest, 
Hunger and thirst He satisfies, 
Out of His rich and full supplies — 
Is Heaven to my soul. 



THE WORKS OF THE DESTROYER 
DESTROYED. 

I am dwelling on the mountain, 

Where the golden sunlight gleams 
O'er a land whose wondrous beauty 

Far exceeds my fondest dreams; 
Where the air is pure, ethereal, 

Laden with the breath of flowers, 
They are blooming by the fountain, 

'Neath the amaranthine bowers. 

I can see far down the mountain, 

Where I wandered weary years, 
Often hindered in my journey 

By the ghosts of doubts and fears, 
Broken vows and disappointments 

Thickly sprinkled all the way, 
But the Spirit led, unerring. 

To the land I hold today. 

I am drinking at the fountain, 

Where I ever would abide; 
For I've tasted life's pure river, 

(17) 



1 8 Food For The Soul. 

And my soul is satisfied; 
There's no thirsting for life's pleasures, 

Nor adorning, rich and gay, 
For I've found a richer treasure, 

One that fadeth not away. 

"Tell me not of heavy crosses, 

Nor the burdens hard to bear, 
For I've found this great salvation 

Makes each burden light appear; 
And I love to follow Jesus, 

Gladly counting all but dross, 
Worldly honors all forsaking 

For the glory of the Cross. 

"Oh, the Cross has wondrous glory! 

Oft IVe proved this to be true; 
When I'm in the way so narrow 

I can see a pathway through; 
And how sweetly Jesus whispers: 

Take the Cross, thou needst not fear 
For IVe tried this way before thee, 

And the glory lingers near." 

"Where sin abounded, grace did much more 
abound" Romans 5 :20. 

God creates and the devil destroys. God 
does not destroy and the devil does not create. 
The devil takes the things that God created and 



Food For The Soul 19 

destroys them. The nature of God and the na- 
ture of the devil are as widely different as the 
whitest white and the blackest black. They are 
separated each from the other by a gulf as deep 
and wide as eternity. God is the embodiment 
of light and love and life. The devil is the em- 
bodiment of darkness and hate and death. 

When this world dropped from the finishing 
touch of its Creator's hand, it was a blooming 
paradise called the "Garden of Eden." Eden 
was not a little spot of ground fenced in with 
barbed wire and guarded by sleepless sentinels 
day and night. It was the bud of an unfolding 
flower as big as the earth with beauty to charm 
angels and fragrance to fill the universe. The 
rippling waters, the sighing boughs, the singing 
birds and the whispering winds were melody 
sweeter than any strain that mortal ear has 
heard. The whole earth was one grand musical 
instrument with every part of creation forming a 
key and every note in perfect harmony with the 
will of its Maker. All nature sang anthems of 



20 Food For The Soul 

praise. Every blade of grass and every leaf of 
every tree was a beautiful flower. There was 
no sickness, no sorrow, no pain, no death; joy 
ripened into bliss and music grew sweeter and 
sweeter. 

Eden was a suburb of heaven, and the two 
were so closely connected and so much alike in 
character that they were under the same author- 
ity and governed by the same laws. With such 
surroundings, the human family had its origin 
and abode until the destroyer made his appear- 
ance. 

The devil entered Eden. His whole being 
writhed with envy. He determined to obliterate 
the Creator's work. He began with Adam and 
Eve and through his persuasions they forsook 
God, yielded to the entreaties of the destroyer 
and became submissive to his will. Having ob- 
tained control of man, and breaking the link 
which bound him to His Maker, the devil was 
in possession of the Garden of Eden. He touch- 
ed with his blighting hand everything which God 



Food For The Soul. 21 

had made and labeled it with something which 
meant death. He touched the flowers and they 
withered; he touched the fruit and it decayed; he 
touched the birds and they fell to the ground ; he 
touched the beasts and they became wild and 
ravenous; he touched the reptiles and they be- 
came poisonous; he touched the air and it became 
cyclonic; he touched the water and it became a 
flood; he touched the grass and herbs, and they 
became thorns and thistles; he touched the sun- 
shine and it became a burning heat and parched 
the soil; he touched the earth and it became a 
graveyard ; he touched the human family and it 
became a funeral procession whose shrieks and 
groans rent the skies. 

The devil destroyed everything that God cre- 
ated on this planet. The ashes of the centuries 
with their horrible tales of blood and fire, earth- 
quake and cyclones, debauchery and drunken- 
ness, famine and flood, lust and murder, hatred 
and war are eloquent with evidences that the 
destroyer's work was complete. 



22 Food For The Soul. 

There was high carnival in hell as the servants 
of the devil looked with gratified eyes upon the 
works of devastation and desolation of their mas- 
ter. The human family with its countless mill- 
ions was doomed to death and destruction. That 
which had been a suburb of heaven was now an- 
nexed to hell and under the dominion of his Sa- 
tanic majesty. But the infernal glee of the burn- 
ing region was brought to a sudden halt when it 
was discovered that t5ie Creator had power to re- 
create. 

God looked upon the bruised and mangled 
and bleeding forms of His children. He heard 
the cry of the orphan and widow. He saw the 
men of strength as they were slain in useless bat- 
tle. He saw the many prolific agencies of the 
devil everywhere in evidence, turning the feet of 
their helpless victims into the broad way that 
leadeth to destruction. And the indescribably 
horrible condition into which the devil had 
thrown the human family touched the Father- 
heart of God. He looked on with pitying eye. 



Food For The Soul. 23 

His heart of love was moved with tenderest 
compassion. He did not desert His own, al- 
though the finger prints of the devil were every- 
where visible and everything bore the unmistak- 
able marks of death. 

What a difference between God's man in 
Eden and the devil's wreck outside of Eden! 
But what matters the difference in the presence 
of the Creator who is ready to begin the work 
of re-creation? 

"For God so loved the world, that He gave 
His only begotten Son, that whososoever believ- 
eth in Him should not perish, but have everlast- 
ing life." 

God invested His love and grace and mercy 
and power in His Son — Jesus Christ — and sent 
Him into the world to pay the penalty incurred 
by sin, by suffering and dying upon die Cross, 
the innocent for the guilty, the sinless for the 
sinner, that through His matchless power the 
works of the devil might be destroyed. 

Jesus Christ is God, and more than a match 



24 Food For The Soul 

for the devil. When He speaks to the devil's 
raging winds and waves, immediately there is a 
great calm. His arm is long enough to reach 
the lowest depths into which man has fallen, 
and strong enough to lift him up. The devil has 
not been able to put a tear into any eye that the 
loving hand of Jesus Christ cannot wipe away. 
The devil cannot make a shackle of sin too 
strong for the power of Jesus Christ to break. 
The devil cannot dig a grave too deep for the 
voice of Jesus Christ to call forth the dead. The 
devil cannot put on any heart a burden too heavy 
for the hand of Jesus Christ to lift. The devil 
cannot put into any heart sins too black for the 
blood of Jesus Christ to wash out. 

The devil is stronger than man, but Jesus 
Christ is stronger than the devil. "Where sin 
abounded, grace did much more abound." The 
devil kills, but Jesus Christ makes alive. 

As man deliberately disobeyed God and for- 
feited all of his rights to the use of the things 
which had been created for him, bringing upon 



Food For The Soul. 25 

himself disappointment, affliction, ruin and 
death, even so he must come back to the Father 
of his own volition in order to obtain the benefits 
of God's redeeming or re-creative power. 

Through Jesus Christ God has made it pos- 
sible for every soul to be saved. He came to 
lift up the fallen, heal the bruised, open the eyes 
of the blind, give rest to the weary, food to the 
hungry, water to the thirsty, strength to the 
weak, joy to the sorrowing, comfort to the des- 
olate, health to the sick and life to the dead. He 
came with all power in heaven and on wrth, 
and is able to take out of man everything that 
the devil put in him, completely destroying the 
works of the destroyer. 

God's man renewed through Jesus Christ will 
triumph over death, hell and the grave, defeat- 
ing the designs of the devil, and live with God 
and the angels amid the glories of heaven for- 
ever and ever. 



CHRISTIAN UNITY. 

Blest be the tie that binds, 
Our hearts in Christian love; 

The fellowship of kindred minds, 
Is like to that above. 

Before our Father's throne, 
We pour our ardent prayers; 

Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, 
Our comforts and our cares. 

We share our mutual woes. 

Our mutual burdens bear; 
And often for each other flows, 

The sympathizing tear. 

When we asunder part, 

It gives us inward pain; 
But we shall still be joined in heart, 

And hope to meet again. 

This glorious hope revives 

Our courage by the way; 
While each in expectation lives 

And longs to see the day. 

(27) 



28 Food For The Soul. 

From sorrow, toil, and pain, 

And sin we shall be free; 
And perfect love and friendship reign 

Through all eternity. 

—John Fawcctt. 

Thai they may be one. John 17:11. 

Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church. The 
Church is the body of Christ. The Church is 
composed of people who believe in, conform to 
and live in accordance with the precepts and ex- 
amples of its Great Head, regardless of name, 
creed or nationality. Christianity is Christ- 
likeness. The mission of the Church is to Chris- 
tainize the world. The people who form the 
Church are not their own. They have been 
bought with a price. They are Christ's and 
Christ is God's. The ownership is vested in the 
Head. The Church being the body of Christ 
guarantees Him the unquestioned rights and 
privileges of using it as He will. 

Man was formed by his Maker, deformed 
by his enemy, and reformed by his Savior. 



Food For The Soul 29 

Man's coming into this world was of God; the 
effects of sin experienced by him is of the devil, 
and his deliverance from the power of evil is 
through Jesus Christ. The price that was paid 
for man's redemption makes it possible for him 
to be taken "out of a horrible pit, and out of 
miry clay" and transplanted in Jesust Christ 
where he may grow "unto the measure of the 
stature of the fulness of Christ." 

The work of transplantation as understood in 
this connection is wrought by a twofold agency, 
— human and divine — in which the church co- 
operates with God in working out the plans 
formed by Him for the salvation of souls. 
Either of these agencies is powerless without the 
other, to save the lost. If God could save the 
world without the co-operation of the church, 
He would have done it long ago; and if man 
could save his own soul independent of the 
atonement of Jesus Christ and the help of the 
Holy Spirit, he would need no God outside of 
himself- 



30 Food For The Soul 

That the world has not been Christianized 
long before the dawn of the twentieth century, 
is not the fault of the Divine Factor in the agen- 
cy of salvation from sin. The human agency, 
the Church, has lagged — walking when it 
should have been running, crawling when it 
should have been walking and sitting when it 
should have been crawling. As a result of this 
lagging, the twentieth century is looking upon 
millions of die earth's population who have nev- 
er so much as heard the name of the One 
through whose atoning benefits the gates of eter- 
nal life have been opened before their benighted 
souls. 

From the days when Jesus said to His apos- 
tles, "all authority hath been given unto Me in 
heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and 
make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them 
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of 
the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all 
things whatsoever I commanded you; and lo, I 
am with you alway, even unto the end of the 



Food For The Soul. 31 

world," unto the present time, the methods of 
operation employed by the Church in her efforts 
to Christianize the world are indelibly written 
upon the pages of the Records of the Acts of 
the Church of God 

The Church is a unit. The history of the 
Church, however, is the embodiment of its min- 
utiae through all the periods of its existence. 
The Church of today ought to bring out of the 
history of the Church of yesterday things that 
will profit greatly in the rapid consummation of 
the mission of the Church of Jesus Christ in the 
world. 

With the increased light and knowledge of 
the present day, everywhere apparent, and the 
population of the globe multiplying at a rapid 
rate, the methods of the Church heretofore em- 
ployed in efforts to Christianize the world are 
inadequate in this age for the work to which the 
Church has been appointed. There are no 
grounds on which to base a hope that the meth- 
ods of church work employed in the past will be 



32 Food For The Soul 

as successful now as tiiey were when adopted 
and used by its leaders in their day. But even 
if they should be as successful now as then, 
where is the mathematician who would dare at- 
tempt to tell the number of millenniums it will 
take at that rate to bring the human family in 
sight of the Cross of Calvary. Evidently there 
must be some changes in policy, or a different 
alignment of the human forces of the agency of 
salvation, in order to accomplish the purpose for 
which the Church exists in the world. 

A plan adequate for the requirement, and 
equipment adequate for the plan, is the greatest 
need of the Church of God in the world today. 
This great need, sad and deadly as the lack of 
it has been, may be found within the limits of 
two words, namely, 

CHRISTIAN UNITY. 

Christian Unity, not a substitute for it, but 
Christian Unity itself, is the need and require- 
ment of the Church in this age of the world's 
history. Unity may exist without uniformity. 



Food For The Soul. 33 

Unity is from within. Unformity is from with- 
out. Unity tends to spirituality. Uniformity 
tends to formality. In armies and navies there 
is uniformity of dress and orders for action but 
there is not always, if ever, unity of motive. 

Christian Unity does not depend upon a 
uniform name by which the people of God 
should be called, nor a uniform mode by which 
they should worship Him, nor a uniform plan 
by which to prosecute His work, nor a uniform 
method of receiving the Sacraments, nor a uni- 
form theory, concerning the Church and its work 
to save the world. There may be rigid unifor- 
mity in all these things and yet a vital lack of 
the most needed thing of all — Christian Unity. 

Christian Unity is not found in name nor 
creed nor doctrine nor commandment nor ism 
nor sect nor ordinance. It is found in Jesus 
Christ, the Great Head of the Church, and pro- 
duced by conformity to His likeness in spirit and 
character. Nothing can take the place of Chris- 
tian Unity. Many things are good and useful 



34 Food For The Soul. 

in their places. Many other things are even in- 
dispensable in their relation to the life and mis- 
sion of the Church in the world. Yet Christian 
Unity is the one essential equipment for the 
Church, without which, at its best, it will be 
greatly handicapped in its efforts to carry out 
the command of Jesus Christ to make disciples 
of all nations. 

Christian Unity is Oneness of the Church with 
Jesus Christ, fashioned after the oneness existing 
between the Father and the Son ; oneness of mo- 
tive, oneness of purpose, oneness of desire, one- 
ness of effort, oneness of interest, oneness of 
sympathy, and oneness of love; a workable, 
brotherly, heartfelt and eye-seen Christian Uni- 
ty as broad as the life of Jesus Christ. It is a 
golden gleam of light, running through the many 
activities of Church life, softening and melting 
and changing every duty into a loving privilege. 
It eliminates drudgery, lightens burdens, sweet- 
ens fellowships, increases faith, expands the 
mind, strengthens the heart, multiplies useful- 



Food For The Soul 35 

ness, and makes brothers and sisters of all the 
children of God. It is the nuptial bond which 
binds the Church to the heart of Jesus Christ. 
It is the mark by which the world shall know 
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior 
of Man, and that His people are one in His 
grace, one in His love and one in Himself. It 
is the power under God's grace which will 
break the hearts of stone, level the walls of op- 
position to the spread of the story of redemp- 
tion, give wings of lightning to the gospel of Je- 
sus Christ, and bring together the diseased by 
sin and the Healing Physician. 



THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS. 

"And must I be to judgment brought, 

And answer in that day 
For every vain and idle thought, 

And every word I say? 

"Yes, every secret of my heart 

Shall shortly be made known, 
And I receive my just desert 
For all that I have done. 

"How careful, then, ought I to live 
With what religious fear! 
Who such a strict account must give 
For my behavior here." 

Neither life or death is more certain than the 
fact that we as individuals in a comparatively 
short time will be enjoying the comforts of heav- 
en with Lazarus or suffering the torments of 
hell with the rich man. Which shall it be? The 
life lived here will settle the destiny there. It 
was so with the rich man and Lazarus, and it 
will be as true with us as it was with them. 
(37) 



38 Food For The Soul 

Why was the rich man lost? Of what sin 
was he guilty? What command had he brok- 
en? All we know of his life and character is 
what Jesus says. Let us study the case careful- 
ly and in the light of the teachings of the Holy 
Book. 

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me." 

Was the rich man an idolater? Was he a 
worshiper of gods made of wood and stone? 
We have no evidence that he broke the first 
commandment. 

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven 
image, or any likeness of anything that is in 
heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or 
that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt 
not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them : 
for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visit- 
ing the iniquity of the fathers upon the children 
unto the third and fourth generation of them 
that hate me; and showing mercy unto thou- 
sands of them that love me and keep my com- 
mandments." 



Food For The Soul. 39 

Was the rich man a heathen? Did he make 
graven images and bow down before them and 
worship them? Did he not know, or knowing 
did he discard or disregard the true God? There 
is no evidence of his breaking the second com- 
mandment. 

"Thou shall not take the name of the Lord 
thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him 
guiltless that taketh His name in vain." 

Was the rich man a common swearer? 
While walking through his fields, or about his 
premises, or in association with his fellowman, 
did he swear, or in any other way take the name 
of God in vain? No word of Jesus indicates 
that he was a profane man. 

"Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 
Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work; 
but the* seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord 
thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, 
nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man ser- 
vant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor 
thy stranger that is within thy gates; for in six 



40 Food For The Soul 

days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea 
and all that in them is, and rested the seventh 
day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath 
day and hallowed it." 

Did the rich man break the Sabbath or cause 
his servants to do so? And for that crime was 
he lost? He was not accused of breaking the 
fourth commandment. 

"Honor thy father and thy mother; that thy 
days may be long upon the land which the Lord 
thy God hath given thee." 

Did the rich man dishonor his parents? Was 
his life cut short because of that disobedience 
and dishonor? Did he go to perdition for 
breaking the fifth commandment? Evidence on 
this point is not found in the words of Jesus. 

"Thou shalt not kill." 

Was the rich man a murderer? Did he go 
to meet God with his hands dripping with the 
blood of his fellowman? Or did he hate his 
brother? Jesus did not accuse him of murder. 

"Thou shalt not commit adultery." 



Food For The Soul. 41 

Was the rich man an adulterer? 1 Was he a 
polygamist? Did he abandon one wife and 
marry another? Did he marry a woman who 
had been divorced from another man? Did he 
look on women to lust after them ? Did he go 
to torment for violating the seventh command- 
ment? Jesus did not accuse him of that. 

"Thou shalt not steal/' 

Was the rich man a thief? A robber? An 
extortioner? Did he acquire his wealth or any 
part of it by false representation, or by taking 
advantage of his fellowmen in trading with 
them? He was not accused by the Savior of 
breaking the eighth commandment. 

"Thou shalt not bear false witness against 
thy neighbor." 

Was the rich man a perjurer? Did he false- 
ly represent the character of his neighbors? 
Did he in any way slander his fellowman? He 
was not accused of breaking the ninth com- 
mandment. 

"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, 



42 Food For The Soul. 

thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his 
man servant, nor his maid servant, nor his ox, 
nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's." 

Did the rich man have a covetous disposi- 
tion? Did he want and would he have liked 
to have had without giving value received for 
same, every fat horse, every fine mansion, and 
every good farm that he saw? Was he lost be- 
cause of the sin of covetousness? The record 
does not say that he was. 

Why then was the rich man lost? Was he a 
drunkard? A liar? A defaulter? A liber- 
tine? Did he mistreat the poor, especially Laz- 
arus? None of the grosser crimes of which so 
many people are guilty were charged to the 
rich man. No doubt many a time he thanked 
God that he was not as bad as other men he 
knew, but yet he "died and was buried ; and in 
hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments." 

The rich man was "clothed in purple and fine 
linen, and fared sumptuously every day." Life 
was a picnic with him. He wanted and he had 



Food For The Soul 43 

a "good time." He was morally upright, be- 
nevolent, and a consistent member of the church; 
a man who shrank from the presence of men 
who transgressed the laws of God outwardly. 
There is no intimation in the words of Jesus that 
he mistreated Lazarus or anyone else. His sin 
did not consist of committing crimes against his 
fellowman, but in omitting his duty to God. 

In studying the life and destiny of the rich 
man the question, "Who then can be saved ?" 
arises in many a mind, and well it may. It is 
not enough to be morally upright; a good man; 
a member of the church. These are all right as 
far as they go, but without grace they end with 
this life. 

The rich man spent his life in picnic fashion. 
He was too busy enjoying himself with the good 
things of this world to take care of the interests 
of his soul. 

How many are traveling in the same road 
with him, and are facing and nearing the same 
flames which are tormenting him in hell? 



THE OTHER WAY. 

"Majestic sweetness sits enthroned 

Upon the Savior's brow; 
His head with radiant glories crowned, 

His lips with graec o'erflow, 

"No mortal can with him compare, 

Among the sons of men; 
Fairer is he than all the fair 

That fill the heavenly train. 

"He saw me plunged in deep distress, 

He flew to my relief; 
For me he bore the shameful cross, 

And carried all my grief. 

"To heaven, the place of his abode, 
He brings my weary feet; 
Shows me the glories of my God, 
And makes my joy complete. 

"Since from his bounty I receive 

Such proofs of love divine, 
Had I a thousand hearts to give, 

Lord, they should all be thine." 

(45.) 



46 Food For The Soul 

"They departed into their own country an~ 
other way: 9 — Matt. 2:12. 

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Ju~ 
dea, "there were in the same country shepherds 
abiding in the field, keeping watch over their 
flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the 
Lord came upon them, and the glory of the 
Lord shone round about them, and they were 
sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 
Fear not: for behold I bring you good tidings 
of great joy, which shall be to all people. For 
unto you is born this day in the city of David, 
a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this 
shall be a sign unto you : Ye shall find the babe 
wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a man- 
ger. And suddenly there was with the angel a 
multitude of the heavenly host praising God, 
and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and 
on earth peace, good will toward men. 9 ' 

"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of 
Judea in the days of Herod the King, behold, 
there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 



Food For The Soul. 47 

saying, Where is He that is born King of the 
Jews? for we have seen His star in the east and 
are come to worship Him. When Herod the 
King, heard these things he was troubled, and 
all Jerusalem with him. And when he had 
gathered all the chief priests and the scribes of 
the people together, he demanded of them 
where Christ should be born. And they said 
unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus is 
it written by the prophet.*' 

"Then Herod, when he had privily called 
the wise men, enquired of them diligently what 
time the star appeared. And he sent them to 
Bethlehem and said, Go and search diligently 
for the young child; and when ye have found 
Him, bring me word again, that I may come and 
worship Him also. When they had heard the 
King, they departed; and, lo, the star, which 
they saw in the east, went before them, till it 
came and stood over where the young child 
was. 

"And when they were come into the house, 



48 Food For The Soul. 

they saw the young child with Mary, His mother, 
and fell down, and worshipped Him; and when 
they had opened their treasures, they presented 
unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and 
myrrh.'* 

"And being warned of God in a dream that 
they should not return to Herod, they departed 
into their own country another way." 

"And when they were departed, behold, the 
angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a 
dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child 
and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be 
thou there until J bring thee word : for Herod 
will seek the young child to destroy Him." 

"Then Herod, when he saw that he was 
mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth 
and sent forth, and slew all the children that 
were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts there- 
of, from two years old and under." 

In these verses we have a vivid picture of — - 
Conviction of Sin. 
Seeking the Lord. 



Food For The Soul 49 

Conversion. 

The Other Way. 

Safety in Obedience to God. 

Conviction. Suddenly the wise men of the 
east were awakened to a consciousness that the 
long-looked-for Savior had come. They de- 
sired to see Him more than they desired to see 
anyone else in the world. They thought about 
Him much and prayed often that God might 
spare their lives to see Him. For this one thing 
they looked and lived, and were not disappoint- 
ed. 

Salvation begins in conviction. The Holy 
Spirit awakens the sinner and shows him his 
need of a Savior. When convicted, divinely 
convinced that he is forever lost without Jesus 
Christ in his soul, an inexpressible hunger for 
the Master arises in his heart. Conviction is 
a consciousness that with Jesus is heaven and 
without Him is hell. 

Seeking the Lord. The wise men determin- 
ed to see Jesus regardless of cost or sacrifice. 



50 Food For The Soul. 

The length of the journey and the probable 
trials of the way were not reckoned. Home, 
family, business, society and the country were 
all left behind. Bitterness was sweet, weari- 
ness was rest, and loss was gain while they were 
going toward Him. No wonder they found the 
Savior. He is always found by people who 
seek Him with the whole heart, but never found 
by those who desire anything else more than 
they desire Him. "He that taketh. not up His 
cross, and followeth not after me, is not worthy 

me. 

God put a bright star in the heaven and told 
the wise men to follow it — that when it came 
over the place where the Savior was there it 
would stand still. The heaven was full of 
stars, all moving, apparently, in the same direc- 
tion but among them all there was only one 
"Star of Bethlehem." Had the wise men fol- 
lowed any other, though differing but slightly 
in brilliancy and general direction in which it 
traveled, they would have missed the Savior! 



Food For The Soul. 51 

There are probably as many theories regard- 
ing the ways and means of salvation as there 
are stars in the heaven, but among them all 
there is only one — the old Bible way of repen- 
tance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus 
Christ — that is safe. Others may look more 
attractive but they miss the Savior! "For oth- 
er foundation can no man lay than that is laid, 
which is Jesus Christ." "Neither is there salva- 
tion in any other : For there is none other name 
under heaven given among men, whereby we 
must be saved." 

Conversion. After a long journey and 
meeting many hindrances along the way, but 
never becoming discouraged, the wise men were 
rewarded for their faithfulness in finding Jesus. 
They saw Him in His mother's arms; they 
bowed at His feet; they worshipped Him; they 
gave Him gifts of gold^ they gave Him their 
own hearts and lives. The supreme moment 
had come and the deepest desire of their hearts 
granted — they found the Savior! 



52 Food For The Soul. 

Like the wise men, he who seeks the Lord 
with all his heart, willingly surrendering every- 
thing that separates his soul from God, sub- 
mitting himself without condition or reserve to 
the will of the Almighty, deeply grieved be- 
cause of his transgressions, repenting and trust- 
ing the Lord for a new heart, will find the Sa- 
vior. He is not hidden from the truly penitent. 
There's a heavenly glow and an enchanting at- 
traction about Him. When the conditions of 
pardon are met by the seeker, "immediately," 
"suddenly," the burden of guilt is lifted from 
the crushed heart by the Master's holy touch 
and the light of His presence dispels the gloom 
which sin had caused. 

The Other Wcfy. After conversion, what? 
Before finding the Savior the wise men met 
King Herod, who appeared to be their friend, 
told diem to go on and find the new born King 
and then bring him word that he might go and 
worship Him also. But God told them to return 
to their homes "another way" which they did. 



Food For The Soul. 53 

The devil would have the new convert live 
as he lived before his conversion; doing the 
same things; going to the same places; using 
the same language; thinking the same thoughts; 
but all the way from the moment of conversion 
to die gate of glory is, "Another way;" "a new 
and living way;" * old things are passed away; 
behold, all things are become as new." 

Safety in Obedience to Cod. Had the wise 
men obeyed Herod and attempted to return to 
their homes by way of Jerusalem instead of 
hearkening to the voice of God in taking "an- 
other way," the wicked King would have ar- 
rested, imprisoned, detained and finally behead- 
ed them! When he found that they had es- 
caped his deadly design and were safe in their 
own country, having gone "another way," he 
attempted to destroy the very source of salva- 
tion in the cold blooded murder of thousands of 
innocent children. 

Let the new convert take heed. Let all be- 
lievers beware. There's a snare in Satan's 



54 Food For The Soul 

voice and ruin in his design. Herod appeared 
to the wise men to be friendly, but that was 
only a trap for their lives. There's danger and 
death in the old way but safety and life in the 
new way. "No man can serve two masters/* 



THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD. 

"The Lord my pasture shall prepare, 
And feed me with a shepherd's care; 
His presence shall my wants supply, 
And guard me with a watchful eye: 
My noonday walks he shall attend, 
And all my midnight hours defend." 

"The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not 
want." Psa. 23:1. 

The first verse of the twenty-third Psalm is 
the most familiar verse in all the Bible. More 
people can repeat it from memory than any 
other verse. It is so familiar and we have 
known it so long that but few are able to recall 
the time when they heard it first, or when they 
were not able to repeat it. We have known 
it about as long as we have known anything, 
(55.) 



56 Food For The Soul. 

which fact, with some, may be cause for de- 
tracting, to some extent, from its preciousness 
to the heart, because, knowing it so well, they 
may fail to give it the thought and meditation 
that its importance deserves. People who live 
in a country of flowers, as a rule, do not ap- 
preciate their beauty and fragrance as those 
who live in deserts and climates where they are 
seldom seen. The flower is the same; the dif- 
ference is in the attention given it by the two 
classes of people. 

The Bible has two authors — divine and hu- 
man. God communicated His will to men 
chosen of Him for that purpose; and the hu- 
man hand penned the divine will as it was re- 
vealed. 

The human author of the little verse quoted 
above was in his early life a shepherd. His 
daily task was to care for his father's sheep. 
He knew and performed his duty well. As a 
shepherd it was his duty. 

To provide for the sheep. The shepherd 



Food For The Soul. 57 

knew where the green pastures were, the sheep 
did not; he knew where they ought to feed, 
they did not. Morning after morning he led 
them out into the best pasture in all the range 
for that day. Sometimes he led them over 
thorny ways and sometimes through marshy 
places. What an apparent affliction to the 
sheep ! Had they been able to complain, what 
grumbling there might have been! But the shep- 
herd knew more than the sheep. He kept be- 
fore them, going on and on, they knew not 
where, but followed as he led. The problem 
whidh for the time seemed difficult was soon 
solved, and the sheep found themselves in the 
midst of a green pasture and beside still waters 
— a place far better than could be found on the 
other side of that which appeared to them a 
great affliction. 

David looked on. His heart welled with 
emotion. He looked above the sheep. God 
was with him and feeding his hungry soul. 
He said, "The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall 



58 Food For The Soul. 

not want." The Great Shepherd and Bishop 
of our souls is with us. We are in His care. 
He provides for us. He supplies our daily 
bread. He goes before us and, as the sheep, 
we follow Him. Sometimes there are sore 
trials and great afflictions through which we are 
called to pass; but let us hold still, keep quiet, 
watch the Shepherd and go on. We may not 
understand now. The way may seem hard and 
rough. But by and by, just over the hill, in a 
deeper joy, a richer experience and a wider field 
of usefulness, the mists will clear away. 

To protect the sheep. The sheep were beset 
and surrounded by many enemies — the wolf, 
the lion, the bear, the dog, the thief, — all watch- 
ing eagerly for an opportunity to destroy their 
lives. How helpless the innocent, defenseless 
sheep in the presence of such deadly foes ! 
David knew the dangers to which they were 
exposed. Without his presence destruction was 
inevitable. The enemy had power over the 
sheep, but the shepherd had power over the 



Food For The Soul 59 

enemy; his abode was with them and his pres- 
ence was as a wall of lire about them. While 
they were eating grass or resting in the shade 
the shepherd stood guard, defying the enemy to 
come near. He stood at his post of duty all 
day. The sheep were never left alone, and never 
knew the extent of danger to which they were 
exposed and from which they were saved. The 
shepherd was always ready to throw himself be- 
tween the sheep and the approaching enemy. 
In him was life for the sheep, but death for the 
enemy. As David watched over the sheep, 
protecting them from their enemies, he recog- 
nized that in the same way God was watching 
over and caring for his soul and again he said, 
"The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want." 
How helpless we are in the presence of the 
soul-destroyer! God knows it. He is our 
Shepherd, our Father, and "will never leave us 
nor forsake us." "Lo, I am with you alway, 
even unto the end of the world." With his own 
power He defends us and drives the enemy 
back and preserves our souls alive. 



60 Food For The Soul 

Any sheep becoming disobedient, tired of 
the shepherd's care, unwilling to follow him 
further, preferring to wander around at its own 
will, and leaving the shepherd, was in great 
danger. The enemy was everywhere. The 
poor sheep, ignorant of the presence of the 
deadly foe, tired of the shepherd's restraint and 
longing for liberty, walked away toward speedy 
and certain and sudden death. With Jesus is 
safety and away from Him is death. 

To bring the sheep home. At the close of 
the day the shepherd returned to the fold with 
the sheep where they were safely housed for the 
night. The dogs could bark, the wolves could 
howl, the lions could roar, but the sheep were 
undisturbed; they were safe; they had reached 
a place where the enemy could not come. Re- 
turning to the place of safety with the sheep, 
having spent the day protecting them, the soul of 
the shepherd bounds with gratitude to God for 
divine protection and the prospect of a home in 
a place where the foul destroyer can never 



Food For The Soul 61 

come, the assurance that "The Lord is my 
Shepherd ; I shall not want," was very precious 
to the heart of David. 

At its best and under the most favorable cir- 
cumstances life is beset with many difficulties. 
Pain, affliction, sorrow, disappointment, temp- 
tation; but in it and through it all "God is faith- 
ful" and the soul that is true to Him, He will 
cause to "mount up with wings as eagles," and 
in the evening of life the gate of pearl will open 
and the Good Shepherd will say to the weary 
pilgrim, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, in- 
herit the kingdom prepared for you from the 
foundation of the world." Then the enemies of 
the soul will turn back in utter and eternal de- 
feat. 

The evening will soon come. The shadows 
are in sight. The Shepherd is gathering His 
flock. The enemy is making his last attack. 
The gate of glory is ajar. The mansion, the 
robe, the crown are in sight. Music is heard in 
the distance. "We're going home." "The 
Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want." 



JESUS OUR EXAMPLE. 

"How beauteous were the marks divine, 
That in thy meekness used to shine, 
That lit thy lonely pathway, trod 
In wondrous love, O Son of God. 

"O who like thee, so mild, so bright, 
Thou Son of man, thou Light of light? 
O who like thee did ever go 
So -patient, through a world of woe? 

"O who like thee so humbly bore 
The scorn, the scoffs of men, before? 
So meek, so lowly, yet so high, 
So glorious in humility? 

"And death, that sets the prisoner free, 
Was pang, and scoff, and scorn to thee; 
Yet love through all thy torture glowed, 
And mercy with thy life-blood flowed. 

"O wondrous Lord, my soul would be, 
Still more and more conformed to thee, 
And learn of thee, the lowly One, 
And like thee, all my journey run." 

(63) 



64 Food For The Soul 

"/ have given you an example, that ye should 
do as I have done." John 13:15. 

In the personage of Jesus Christ both the di- 
vine and human elements were united — God 
and man. This blending of natures in one per- 
son was a necessity in order to bridge the chasm 
which sin had made between God and Man. 
Sin had separated man from God by a gulf deep 
and wide as eternity, making the salvation of 
souls an utter impossibility except through Je- 
sus Christ the Redeemer of the soul, and exam- 
ple to be followed in holy living. 

As man, Jesus is our example ; as God, he is 
not. This distinction should be made clear. 
All that belongs to the Christian life by divine 
right, we should claim, possess, enjoy and use for 
the glory of the Giver, but the title of that which 
belongs to God should never be disputed by His 
children. As a man, Jesus lived a holy life and 
as God, He wrought miracles; as God, He heal- 
ed the sick, cleansed the lepers, opened the eyes 



Food For The Soul. 65 

of tlie blind and raised the dead, and as man He 
lived a humble, obedient, prayerful, sympa- 
thetic, unselfish, consistent and forgiving life. 
He is our example in holy living but not in the 
exercise of divine power. 

Meekness. Jesus is our example in meek- 
ness. He was meek and lowly in spirit. From 
the records made of His life by the prophets 
who saw Him in the ages to come and the rec- 
ords in the gospels made by living witnesses, it is 
not hard to believe that we would know Jesus 
if we should meet Him unexpectedly on a 
crowded street or somewhere alone. He bears 
a mark and that mark is meekness. It is visible 
on the Sabbath and through the week; in the 
great city among the throngs of people and off 
in desert places alone with his apostles; while 
healing the sick and driving the money changers 
from the temple ; while weeping at the grave of 
Lazarus and pronouncing woes upon the 
Scribes and Pharisees; while His friends are 
shouting "Hosannah, blessed is he that cometh 



66 Food For The Soul 

in the name of the Lord," and His enemies cry- 
ing, "Crucify him; Crucify him;" in the cradle 
and on the cross, all the time the mark of meek- 
ness is a distinguishing feature of the person of 
Jesus Christ. In this He is our example. 

Loyalty to Cod. The motto of Jesus was, 
"Not my will, but Thine, be done.*' In that 
spirit He surrendered the riches of heaven for the 
poverty of earth ; the company of angels for the 
association of fallen man ; His mansions yonder 
for "not where to lay His head" here; and His 
life in glory for death on the cross between two 
thieves ; all because it was His Father's will. 

And even more ; being innocent, He suffered 
for the guilt of the whole world — suffered for 
the individual sins of every person in the human 
family. No wonder He cried out under the 
weight of the burden, "My soul is exceeding 
sorrowful even unto death," while "His sweat 
was as it were great drops of blood falling down 
to the ground." These are some of the things 
that Jesus surrendered and suffered because of 



Food For The Soul 67 

the will of His Father, and then He says to us, 
"I have given you an example that ye should do 
as I have done." 

There is but one answer to make to God 
when He reveals His will to us, and that is the 
words of Jesus in the garden, "Not my will but 
Thine be done." He may call us to the minis- 
try, to mission work, to sacrifice or suffering; no 
matter what, nor where, nor when, the answer 
of Him who gave us an example is the only 
answer which will be acceptable to God. 

Prayer. Jesus was a man of prayer. His life 
breathed the spirit of prayer. He prayed with 
His apostles ; He prayed while alone ; He pray- 
ed on the mountain; He prayed all night; He 
prayed for His disciples; He prayed for His 
enemies; He prayed in the garden; He prayed 
on the cross. His life was a prayer; His death 
was a prayer. He delighted in prayer. God 
heard and answered His prayers. "I have given 
you an example that ye should do as I have 
done." 



68 Food For The SouL 

Sympathy. Jesus was sympathetic. He had 
a heart that could feel and eyes that could 
weep. He was touched with the feelings of the 
infirmities of the people by whom He was sur- 
rounded. He listened attentively to every story 
that was told to Him. He was kind, brotherly, 
tender, never sarcastic, always ready to speak 
a word to dry a tear, or lighten a burden. 

Unselfishness. Jesus was an utterly unsel- 
fish man; to be more so than He was is an im- 
possibility. His spirit of unselfishness was the 
basis of His willingness to live a life of sacrifice 
and suffering, not for His friends but for His en- 
emies — being innocent, He took their place and 
suffered the penalty of their crimes that they 
might be pardoned. With never a word of 
complaint and poorer than the birds that have 
nests, and foxes that have holes, He went on His 
way, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, com- 
forting the despondent, lifting the fallen and 
strengthening the weak. He lived for others; 



Food For The Soul. 69 

He suffered for others ; He died for others. The 
spirit of unselfishness was exemplified in every 
step and every word and every act of the Mas- 
ter's life. 

Consistency. Jesus was the embodiment of 
consistency. His doctrine and His life harmon- 
ized; His precepts and His examples never 
clashed. Questions of importance often arise in 
the minds of thinking people as to how far it is 
safe to go in so-called "worldly amusements." 
The line of safety is here : 

Without hesitation and with perfect safety 
the Christian may use any word or form of lan- 
guage that jesus would use; he may go to any 
place that Jesus would go; he may engage in 
anything that Jesus would do. The line of 
safety is the line of danger also ; on one side is 
life, on the other death. Jesus is our example. 

Forgiveness. The word forgiveness as used 
here does not refer to the forgiveness of sins. 
(He did that as God). It is intended to mean 
his spirit of forgiveness towards his fello**- man 



70 Food For The Soul 

who wronged him and trespassed against him as 
a man. 

If ever a man had cause for feeling resent- 
ful and seeking revenge, that man was Jesus. 
Never before nor since, has the world's scorn 
and derision and contempt and abuse been heap- 
ed upon any other man like it was upon Jesus 
Christ. His own rejected Him; He was called 
the prince of devils; they accused Him falsely; 
they persecuted Him without cause; His friends 
forsook Him and fled; and one of His own dis- 
ciples betrayed Him. But through it all He 
maintained a forgiving spirit, loving and praying 
for His enemies. So He lived and so He died. 
"I have given you an example that ye should do 
as I have done," is His personal message to 
each of His followers. Do we measure to the 
requirement? 



THE VALUE OF CHRIST'S BLESS- 
ING. 

What a friend we have in Jesus, 

All our sins and griefs to bear! 
What a privilege to ^arry 

Everything to God in prayer! 
O what peace we often forfeit, 

O what needless pain we bear, 
All because we do not carry 

Everything to God in prayer! 

Have we trials and temptations? 

Is there trouble anywhere? 
We should never be discouraged, 

Take it to the Lord in prayer. 
*Can we find a friend so faithful 

Who will all our sorrows share? 
Jesus knows our every weakness, 

Take it to the Lord in prayer. 

Are we weak and heavy laden 

Cumbered with a load of care? 
Precious Savior, still our refuge, 

Take it to the Lord in prayer. 
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? 

Take it to the Lord in prayer: 
In his arms he'll take and shield thee, 

Thou wilt find a solace there. 

— Horatius Bonar. 

(71) 



72 Food For The Soul. 

"But what are they among so man])? 9 ' 
John 6:9. 

Jesus and his disciples were in a desert place. 
They were thronged by a company of five thou- 
sand men, besides women and children. The 
day was far spent. Night was at hand. The 
whole multitude was hungry. Neither die dis- 
ciples nor the multitude had anything to eat, 
and it was some distance to stores where sup- 
plies of provisions could be purchased. A 
crisis had come. Something had to be done 
quickly. The only plausible solution of the dif- 
ficult problem that suggested itself to the minds 
of the disciples was, to request the Master to 
send the multitude away that they might go into 
the villages and cities round about and buy for 
themselves food. "There is a lad here which 
hath five barley loaves and two small fishes; 
but what are they among so many?" was the 
situation as it appeared to the disciples at that 
time. 



Food For The Soul 73 

The disciples saw the greatness of the need 
and the inadequacy of the supply. Counting 
women and children, there were, in all proba- 
bility, at least ten thousand hungry people to 
be fed, and only five loaves of bread and two 
small fishes in sight with which to meet the 
enormous demand ! No wonder they exclaim- 
ed, "But What are they among so many V* They 
saw the difficulties with which they were sur- 
rounded plainly, but overlooked Him, who, 
standing in their midst, possessed power to bring 
light out of darkness, strength out of weakness, 
and life out of death. 

Notwithstanding the inadequacy of supply 
contrasted with the enormity of need, with the 
blessing of Jesus Christ upon the five loaves and 
two fishes, ten thousand hungry people were fed 
and filled, and twelve baskets full of fragments, 
many times more than the boy had in the begin- 
ning, were left over! The insignificant supply 
under His blessing was abundantly sufficient to 
meet the enormous demand. The church of 



74 Food For The Soul 

God possesses enough money and talent, with 
His blessing upon diem as it was on the bread 
and fish, to evangelize the world in a genera- 
tion. And upon this same principle every local 
church may have a gracious revival, and ev- 
ery individual Christian may be a winner of 
souls. The valueless becomes invaluable with 
His blessing upon it. "He is all, and in all.'* 

It is well to note that all the bread and all 
the fish were given to Jesus. A partial gift 
would not suffice. He must have all. The sin- 
ner cannot be converted until he surrenders 
completely; the backslider cannot be reclaim- 
ed until he returns fully ; the believer cannot be 
filled with the Holy Ghost until he consecrates 
wholly. Partial gifts are not acceptable to the 
Lord. "But she of her penury hath cast in 
all the living that she had." 

The amount of bread and fish on hand was 
sufficient to feed one person only, but with 
Christ's blessing upon it, ten thousand were fed. 
The ratio of increase under His blessing was 



Food For The Soul 75 

ten thousand. And, again: The amount of 
bread and fish on hand was worth, say, for a 
basis of reckoning, twenty-five cents while in 
possession of the boy, but when it was given 
to Jesus and divinely multiplied, the amount 
was $2,500, or an increase of ten thousand 
fold. Does it pay to give gold and silver to 
God? Does it pay to give of our bread and 
meat to Him? If God will put such a blessing 
upon an insignificant amount of bread and fish, 
who can say What He will do if He has an 
equal chance with a heart, a life? *'I beseech 
you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, 
that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, 
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your rea- 
sonable service." 

God waits to show the world what He can 
do with a perfectly consecrated man. Who will 
dare to trust Him fully, with life and health, 
time and talent, friends and home, soul and 
body, for time and eternity? 



OUR COMMON ENEMIES. 

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, 
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word! 
What more can he say, than to you he hath said, 
To you, who for refuge to Jesus have fled? 

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed, 

For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid; 

I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to 

stand, 
Upheld by my gracious, omnipotent hand. 

When through the deep waters I call thee to go, 
The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow; 
For I will be with thee, thy trials to bless, 
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress. 

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, 
My grace, all-suflicient, shall be thy supply, 
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design, 
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine. 

E'en down to old age all my people shall prove 
My sovereign, eternal unchangeable love; 

(77) 



78 Food For The Soul 

And when hoary hairs shall their temples adora. 
Like lambs they shall still in my bosom be borne. 

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, 
I will not, I will not desert to his foes; 
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, 
I'll never, no never, no never forsake! 

— George Keith. 

"The last enemy that shall be destroyed is 
death." I Cor. 15:26. 

Everything that has life is beset by dangers. 
The insects that creep, the fowls in the air, the 
beast of the field and forest, the fish of the sea, 
each, in its natural sphere, has its enemies, and 
is forced to be on constant guard in order to 
preserve its own life. Life is a battle to ward 
off death. This is as true of man as it is of fish, 
fowl and beast. 

Man, however, because of his spiritual en- 
dowment has two battles to fight, two armies of 
foes to face ; one in order to preserve his natural 
life and the other in order to prepare for eternal 
life. 



Food For The Soul. 79 

There are three common enemies working to- 
gether in harmony under the direction of the 
Arch Fiend for the eternal destruction of every 
soul. These enemies are : 

The Devil 

The World. 

The Flesh. 

The Devil. At one time away back in eter- 
nity there was war in heaven. The being 
known to us as "The Devil," formerly a prince 
of light, conceived and endeavored to execute 
a plan by which God should be overcome, de- 
throned and cast out, and His place at the cen- 
ter of the universe, and the center of angelic 
adoration usurped. Failing in his design as a 
rival for the throne, and meeting the fate he in- 
tended for the Almighty One, the devil still 
maintains his position of rivalry, not for the 
throne in heaven, but for supremacy in the heart 
of man. Next to the throne in heaven, the devil 
wants the throne of the soul. He made trouble 
in heaven. He makes trouble in the soul. De- 



80 Food For The Soul 

signing, subtle, deceptive, appearing as "an an- 
gel of light," he is not recognized often as the 
devil until his iron grip begins to tighten about 
the heart. His purpose is not so much to damn 
the soul as it is to defeat God in His plan of sal- 
vation for man. 

Two neighbors disagreed. Anger rose be- 
tween them. Hatred boiled. One went to the 
other's barn at night, took out a horse and led it 
away into a thicket, tying it to a tree, where it 
stood for several days without food or water. 
The poor dumb animal was the victim of re- 
venge of the enemy of its owner. 

Even so. 

The World. The world in this connection 
does not mean the material world as God 
created it, but the things in the world which have 
been perverted by the devil and are sinful. The 
world is full of them. They are everywhere. 
The devil has put his hand and left his mark of 
misery, pain and death on every man and wo- 
man and child in all the world. 



Food For The Soul. 81 

The Flesh. The word flesh which occupies 
a conspicuous place in the trio of enemies un- 
der consideration here, is not the material flesh 
of the natural body; if it were, no one living 
could please God. "So then they that are in 
the flesh cannot please God.'* It means in- 
herited depravity, or the carnal mind. It mat- 
ters little by what name this enemy is called, we 
know What a giant foe he is, the trouble he 
makes and the ruin he works. 

Here are our foes in battle array : The dev- 
il is at the head of the column, Commander-in- 
chief; the World on the outside to allure, at- 
tract and offer pleasure and gain; and the Flesh 
on the inside to respond to the call from without. 

"My soul be on thy gflard; 

Ten thousand foes arise; 
The hosts of sin are pressing hard 

To draw thee from the skies. 

"Oh, watch and fight and pray; 

The battle ne'er give o'er; 
Renew it boldly every day, 

And help divine implore. 

"Ne'er think the victory won, 
Nor lay thine armour down; 



82 Food For The Soul. 

The work of faith will not be done, 
Till thou obtain a crown. 

"Fight on, my soul, till death, 
Shall bring thee to thy God; 

He'll take thee at thy parting breath 
To his divine abode." 

The devil was cast out of heaven by the 
matchless power of God. He is cast out of our 
hearts by the same power. The battle is fierce. 
The foes are strong and determined, but the 
Lion of the Tribe of Judea shall prevail in ev- 
ery heart fully surrendered to the Lord Jesus 
Christ. 

And the last enemy to be destroyed — Death 
— which the devil designed as a means of sep- 
arating the soul from God forever, the trans- 
forming power of Jesus Christ converts into an 
Open Door leading into everlasting bliss from 
which the devil is forever barred. "But thanks 
be to God who giveth us the victory through our 
Lord Jesus Christ.'* 



THE UNPROFITABLE SERVANT. 

Work, for the night is coming, 

Work through the morning hours; 
Work, while the dew is sparkling, 

Work 'mid spring flowers; 
Work when the day grows brighter, 

Work in the glowing sun; 
Work, for the night is coming 

When man's work is done. 

Work, for the night is coming, 

Work through the sunny noon; 
Fill brightest hours with labor, 

Rest comes sure and soon. 
Give every flying minute 

Something to keep in store; 
Work, for the night is coming, 

When man works no more. 

Work, for the night is coming, 

Under the sunset skies, 
While their bright tints are glowing, 

Work, for daylight flies. 

(83) 



84 Food For The Soul 

Work till the last beam fadeth, 

Fadeth to shine no more; 
Work while the night is dark'ning 

When man's work is o'er. 

— Sidney Dyer. 

"And cast ye the unprofitable servant into 
outer darkness; There shall be weeping and 
gnashing of teeth." Matt 25 :30. 

All that we know of this man is that he re- 
ceived one talent; he buried it in the earth; he 
hid his Lord's money; he came to the day of 
reckoning unprepared, and his Lord said unto 
him, "Thou wicked and slothful servant .... 
cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer dark- 
ness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of 
teeth." 

This lesson should call for a close, personal 
examination of heart and life in the light and 
teachings and requirements of the Holy Book. 
A day of reckoning is coming, and God will re- 
quire a full account of everything He has en- 
trusted to our care. 

God gives us 



Food For The Soul. 85 

Time. We are spending it profitably or un- 
profitably. God is the judge. The day of 
reckoning is coming. Time spent in sin, or in 
idleness, or for the gratification of personal, sel- 
fish desires or ambitions, or in worldliness, is 
spent unprofitably ; while time given to God 
and spent wholly in learning His will, in doing 
His bidding, in communing with Him, in study- 
ing His word, in solemn meditation and prayer, 
in being constantly "about our Father's busi- 
ness," is spent profitably. 

Cod gives us strength and ability to earn 
money. This is a valuable gift entrusted to our 
care, one with which we either glorify God, 
bless the world and benefit ourselves or dis- 
honor our Maker, hinder the cause we should 
help, and curse ourselves. The use of this gift 
in procuring money illegitimately, without giv- 
ing value received, or on principles otherwise 
than those covered by the Golden Rule, is bury- 
ing the talent and hiding God from hearts that 
are yearning in hunger for Him. 



86 Food For The Soul. 

And Cod gives us opportunity to do good. 
The man who buried his talent in the earth and 
was sentenced by his Lord to be "cast into out- 
er darkness" for his unfaithfulness lived at the 
same time, was given the same amount of time, 
and had equal opportunities with the two men 
who doubled their talents and then entered into 
the joy of their Lord where they were made 
rulers over many things because of their faith- 
fulness. We do not lack opportunities to do 
good. Doors are open everywhere. Not a 
day, scarcely an hour, passes that does not put 
us in touch with some one who needs help. 

It is right and our bounden duty to refrain 
from doing wrong. But what sin, as men count 
sins today, did the man of one talent commit? 
Yet his Lord said unto him, "Cast ye the un- 
profitable servant into outer darkness; there 
shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth/* He 
was simply unprofitable and therefore his doom 
was sealed, not because of wrongs he had com- 
mitted, but because of the good he had omitted. 



Food For The Soul. 87 

In the great day when weighed in the bal- 
ances of God's eternal justice, any profit that 
we may have been to society or the commercial 
world will not be taken into account. We may 
be lauded as heroes and expert financiers and 
accorded high political honors in this world and 
yet be wholly unprofitable to God as a repre- 
sentative of the heavenly kingdom among men. 

We breathe God's air ; we drink the water 
which His clouds bring to us; we live on the 
products which His soil produces; we are in- 
debted to Him for every breath we breathe, for 
every moment of time we live, for every morsel 
of food we eat and for every stitch of apparel 
we wear, God has a right to expect something 
worthy in return for all His goodness to us, a 
right which reason recognizes and justice ap- 
proves. In His sight are we profitable or un- 
profitable servants? 



FOLLOWING JESUS. 

"Take the name of Jesus with you, 

Child of sorrow and of woe; 
It will joy and comfort give you; 

Take it, then, where'er you go." 

"Follow thou me." John 21 :2l. 
I. 
Motives in Following Jesus. 

We should ever be ready to give a reason for 
the faith that is within us. We should as readily 
comprehend the motives actuating us in align- 
ing ourselves with and following the Lord Je- 
sus Christ. 

The foundation principles of following the 
Master should not be prompted by desire to se- 
cure "loaves and fishes," a preferred place in 
(89) 



90 Food For The Soul 

society, nor a commercially advantageous bus- 
iness relation. Deeper, higher, broader, holier 
motives than these should govern us in this sa- 
cred matter. 

We should follow Jesus because we are re- 
sponsible beings; dependent creatures; never 
able to stand alone; always leaning on and be- 
ing led by some one else. This being true, we 
should follow the One who is capable of mak- 
ing the best of our lives, both in this world and 
that which is to come, and that One is Jesus 
Christ. 

Jesus is the only One through whom we may 
obtain forgiveness of sins, cleansing of heart, 
sustaining grace, keeping power and the hope 
of the resurrection. Therefore because He is 
"The Way, the Truth and the Life/' and there 
being no other, He must be followed closely by 
all who desire to meet Him in peace. 

We cannot be at our best anywhere without 
Jesus. He had a social nature, and mixed and 
mingled with people at wedding and funeral, in 



Food For The Soul 9 1 

city and village, ate with publicans and sinners, 
and talked to multitudes and individuals. We 
have a social nature also. Society is necessary. 
"No man liveth to himself and no man dieth to 
himself." In order to be safe in society and 
society safe so far as our influence goes, we 
must follow Jesus. 

We are citizens of a great country. Its gov- 
ernment has been committed to our charge. We 
have a part in all its affairs. We pay tribute 
to its support and are protected by its laws. 
Whether in the White House or at the polls; 
whether in or out of official position; whether 
receiving help from or paying taxes to the gov- 
ernment, in all our relations as citizens of this 
great country, to be at our best, we must fol- 
low Jesus. 

He who is at peace with God is in condition 
to do better service on the farm, in the store, in 
the office, in the shop, anywhere, everywhere, 
than one whose future is dark and whose heart 
is heavy because of sin. Therefore, in order to 



92 Food For The Soul. 

be at our best in business matters, Golden Rule 
principles permeating all our actions and trans- 
actions, it is necessary to follow Jesus. 

He assures us of life eternal. Jesus Christ is 
our friend all through life. As little children 
He says of us, "Of such is the kingdom of 
heaven," and to the departing saint, "Well 
done, good and faithful servant." He is ever 
ready to lead us by His Spirit, keep us by His 
power, sustain us by His grace, guide us with 
His eye; helping us to live pure, holy, noble, 
useful lives. 

II. 

Ways of Following Jesus. 

"Take the name of Jesus ever, 
As a shield from every snare; 

If temptations round you gather, 
Breathe that holy name in prayer." 

Jesus is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life." 
We are to follow Him. He is "all and in all." 



Food For The Soul. 93 

We are not commanded to follow human lead- 
ers, no matter how holy or Christ-like in char- 
acter they may be; nor creeds, nor isms, nor 
opinions, nor theories, only as they help us to 
follow Jesus Christ. Paul thoroughly under- 
stood this when he said, "Follow me as I follow 
Christ." 

In taking Jesus as our example it is necessary 
for us to recognize in Him both the human and 
divine, and to make a distinction between Jesus 
as man and Jesus as God, always bearing in 
mind, however, that in order to follow Him as 
man it is necessary to be in touch with Him as 
God. 

We are to follow Him — 

In Obedience to Cod. Read the prophecies 
concerning the life of Jesus. Read the gospels. 
Read what His friends and His enemies say 
about Him. All of one accord bear Record — 
and their record is true — that Jesus Christ was 
perfectly obedient to the will of God. He left 
die glories and riches of heaven; came to His 



94 Food For The Soul 

own and was rejected by them ; was poorer than 
the birds that have nests and the foxes that have 
holes; "a man of sorrows and acquainted with 
grief;" He went through the garden of Geth- 
semane and to the cross in obedience to God. 
What does God want us to do? How does He 
want us to live? What are his commands to 
us? Listen to Jesus, "Follow me." We are to 
follow Him — 

In Humility. The humility of Jesus Christ 
was his exaltation. His humility, more perhaps 
than any other feature of His life, was the mark 
by which our Christ was known among men; 
not a humility produced by external influence 
nor surroundings, but flowing from His heart 
and filling His life. We, like our Lord, should 
be filled with humility; that humbleness of spirit; 
that purity of soul; that loyalty of motive; that 
oneness of purpose; that earnestness of desire; 
that obedience of heart which marked the life of 
Him who says "Follow Me." And we are to 
follow Him — > 



Food For The Soul 95 

In Prayer. If ever there was a man who had 
no need of prayer surely that man was the sin- 
less Son of Man, the only man in all the history 
of the human race whose life fitted Him for an 
example for other men to follow, and yet He 
was pre-eminently a man of prayer. 

He prayed everywhere; He prayed always; 
He prayed for his apostles and for all who 
should believe on Him through their word; He 
prayed for His enemies ; He prayed for His 
murderers; through life and in death Jesus 
Christ was a man of prayer. 

"Prayer is the soul's sincere desire, 

Uttered or unexpressed; 
The motion of a hidden fire 

That trembles in the breast. 

"Prayer is the burden of a sigh, 

The falling of a tear, 
The upward glancing of an eye, 

When none but God is near. 

"Prayer is the simplest form of speech 

That infant lips can try; 
Prayer the sublimest strains that reach 

The Majesty on high. 



96 Food For The Soul. 

"Prayer is the contrite sinner's voice 

Returning from his ways; 
When angels in their songs rejoice 

And cry, 'Behold he prays!' 

"Prayer is the Christian's vital breath, 

The Christian's native air, 
His watchword at the gates of death; 

He enters heaven with prayer. 

"O thou, by whom we come to God, 
The Life, the Truth, the Way; 

The path of prayer thyself hast trod; 
Lord, teach us how to pray!" 

"Pray without ceasing." "I will therefore, 
that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, 
without wrath and doubting." "I have given 
you an example that ye should do as I have 
done." We are to follow Jesus further — 

In Faith. 

In Love. 

In Sympathy. 

In Service. 

In Forgiveness. Not the forgiveness of sins, 
as that belongs to the divine realm, but the for- 



Food For The Soul 97 

giveness in the sense that when Jesus "was re- 
viled, He reviled not again." And when He was 
persecuted He gave love in return; and when 
He was crucified He said, "Father, forgive 
them, for they know not what they do/' 

III. 

Evidences of Following Jesus. 

"O, the precious name of Jesus! 

How it thrills our souls with joy, 
When his loving arms receive us, 

And his songs our tongues employ!" 

The witness of the Spirit. "The Spirit him- 
self beareth witness with our spirit, that we are 
the children of God." This is unmistakable. 
There is nothing else like it in human experi- 
ence. God's Spirit bearing witness with 
man's spirit, assuring him of his high eternal re- 
lationship. The evidence is clear. No room 
for doubt. "We know whom we have be- 
lieved." 



98 Food For The Soul 

Love for One Another. "We know that we 
have pasesd from death unto life because we 
love the brethren." "This is my commandment, 
that ye love one another as I have loved you." 

Conscious submission to the Divine Will. 
Another evidence of following Jesus is a deep 
abiding soul consciousness of submission to the 
will of God. "Submit yourselves therefore to 
God. Resist the devil and he will flee from 
you/* This submission of self is to God, not to 
our personal opinions or desires, nor to the wills 
of those about us, even though they may claim 
divine revelation in matters concerning us. We 
deal with God. God deals with us. "Thy 
will, not mine, be done." 

Assurance in Prayer. Prayer, real prayer, 
is holding conversation with God. We pour out 
our soul's desires to Him and He answers us in 
his own chosen way, but to our satisfaction ; that 
is, He assures us that He hears and answers, 
"For they know His voice. And a stranger will 
they not follow, but will flee from him : for they 



Food For The Soul. 99 

know not the voice of strangers." "If ye abide 
in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask 
what ye will and it shall be done unto you." 

Delight in Fellowship with the Holy Ghost. 
God is not only with His people in a general 
sense but as a personal presence and as such He 
reveals Himself to them in the person of the 
Holy Ghost. There is fellowship between God 
and His people. 



IV. 

Rewards of Following Jesus. 

"At the name of Jesus bowing 

Falling prostrate at his feet, 
King of kings in heaven we'll crown him, 

When our journey is complete." 

Consciousness of Acceptance with Cod. The 
first blessing that comes to a soul as a reward 
for following Jesus is a consciousness of accep- 
tance with God — obtained in conversion. 



100 Food For The Soul 

A New Name. Abram, Jacob and Saul of 
Tarsus, in prevailing with God and experienc- 
ing a work of grace in their hearts, obtained also 
new names and were henceforth known as Abra- 
ham, Israel and Paul respectively. They were 
new men. Why not have new names? Like- 
wise in conversion we become new creatures in 
Christ Jesus the Lord. Old things pass away. 
We have new hearts, new lives, new ideals, new 
thoughts, new work, and a new name also. The 
new name is "Christian." The old name — 
"Sinner" passes away when we are made new 
creatures in Jesus Christ. No man knows what 
the new name means except he to whom it is 
given. The new name comes from, belongs to 
and means— LIKE CHRIST. 

Fellowship with Jesus. Another reward 
which we obtain in following Jesus is fellowship 
or association with Him. Our associations are 
invariably a blessing or a curse to us, the charac- 
ter of die association always determining which. 
While in fellowship with Jesus we breathe the 



Food For The Soul. 101 

atmosphere of heaven, eat the bread and drink 
the water of life, enjoy the light of His presence, 
and rest in the consciousness of His cleansing 
blood, His sustaining grace and His keeping 
power. 

Co-Workers with God. Another reward ac- 
corded us as followers of Jesus Christ is to be 
reckoned as co-workers with God, having part 
with Him in lifting up the fallen, in bringing 
light to those who sit in darkness and in the shad- 
ow of death, in administering comfort to the be- 
reft and sorrowing about us, and in saving the 
losll. 

A Peaceful and Happy Hour in Which to 
Die. A Christian's death is an invitation for 
the unsaved to come to Jesus. No anxiety, no 
fear, no dread. Battles fought, victories won, 
devil defeated, glory land in view; good-bye 
earth, welcome heaven ! When his hour of de- 
parture came, Paul was ready and his crown 
was in waiting. Stephen saw "the heavens op- 
ened and the Son of man standing on the right 



1 02 Food For The Soul 

hand of God." Alfred Cookman went "sweep- 
ing through the gates, washed in die blood of 
the Lamb." Such an hour in which to leave this 
world is worth all that it costs to live a Christian 
life. 

Heirs of Cod and Joint Heirs With Christ. 
The rewards of following Jesus begin here, con- 
tinue yonder, and never end. We are the chil- 
dren — sons and daughters — of God. Our Fath- 
er divides, but does not diminish His estate of 
glory, grandeur, life eternal and heaven with 
His children. 



LET THE DEAD BURY THEIR 
DEAD. 

"Now is the accepted time, 

Now is the day of grace; 
Now sinners come without delay, 

And seek the Savior's face. 

"Now is the accepted time, 

The Savior calls today; 
Tomorrow it may be too late- — 

Then why should you delay!'' 

"Follow me; and lei the dead bury their 
dead." Matt. 8:22. 

Is this a hard saying? Is the command un- 
reasonable? Are any of the requirements of 
the Christian religion too severe? Does God 
ever demand that which man cannot with the ut- 
most propriety give? Let us make a sample of 
the case before us and see. 
(103) 



104 Food For The Soul 

A certain man looked on Jesus with favor be- 
lieving Him to be the Savior, and expressed a 
desire to follow Him as soon as he could make 
it convenient to do so; some domestic cares, 
however, he looked upon as being more impor- 
tant and more in need of his attention at that 
time than the interests of his soul. "But Jesus 
said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead 
bury their dead." His father was not dead 
literally, else he would have been at home mak- 
ing arrangements for or attending the funeral, 
but was only aged, infirm and unable to fill his 
place longer in the business world—therefore he 
was spoken of as dead. Had the man's desire 
been granted, he might have died before his 
father. 

The answer of Jesus emphasizes the fact that 
the most important thing in life is to make peace 
with God. Many other things are important 
and need care in their places, which lessons Je- 
sus recognized and taught, but the most im- 
portant of all is salvation from sin. The fol- 



Food For The Soul 1 05 

lowing illustrations may help to impress the im- 
portance of this matter on our minds : 

The harvest season has come. Wheat is ripe. 
It must be gathered or waste. It must be saved 
for it represents bread and meat and clothing. 
It must be saved quickly. All other crops must 
wait for attention, harvest is here! Important 
as is the harvest, there is something of more im- 
portance than the gathering of ripe wheat. 

There is a man hard at work at his desk, in 
the store, in the offiee, on the farm. He is 
working far beyond his strength. He feels it. 
His friends see it. He must have rest or a 
breakdown is inevitable. Important as is the 
rest for the overtaxed laborer, there is something 
of even more importance for him than that. 

There are parents almost on the verge of 
poverty who manage somehow to send their 
children off to school. They need them at 
home. They need their work in order to help 
support the family. These parents are not 
striking for shorter hours and higher wages. 



1 06 Food For The Soul 

They toil from daylight till dark and often far 
into the night, as long as they have strength to 
go, in order to keep their children in school, that 
they may have adequate preparation to meet the 
duties and responsibilities of life. Important as 
is the education of children, there is something 
of more importance for them than that. 

And there are some students in college. They 
excel in their work. They appreciate the value 
of golden days of opportunity of school life 
and are making the very best of it. Every 
recitation period is welcomed and every lesson 
perfect. They graduate at the head of every 
class and with honors. Important as is a finish- 
ed education now-a-days, there is something of 
still greater importance than that. 

There is a homeless family. They have 
been driven from place to place by reason of 
their poverty until they are worn out, discour- 
aged and have no place to go. What now? 
They determine to buy a home of their own. 
Courage revives. All take heart. The ills of 



Food For The Soul. 1 07 

the past are forgotten. A new day dawns and 
they begin life anew. No rents to pay now! 
No danger of being driven from home again! 
They have a home of their own ! Important as 
it is for every family to have a home, there is 
something of more importance than that. 

There's a sick child! The doctor comes 
twice a day. He does not know what the out- 
come will be. The little one may recover, or 
may not. All is anxiety about the home. Ex- 
penses, costs, sacrifices, time, are not counted as 
against the life of the child. Whatever is need- 
ed is secured regardless of price. With tender- 
est care and deepest anxiety the household 
watches and awaits results. Important as is the 
proper care of that child, there is something 
more important than that. 

Hush ! Walk quietly ! Speak softly ! She's 
dead ! Hang crepe on the door. Wire for the 
relatives. Suspend all business. Weep. She's 
dead! Mother's gone! We must make ar- 
rangements for and have the funeral now. Im- 



108 Food For The Soul. 

portant as is the funeral for the dead, there is 
something of more importance than that, and 
that is what Jesus meant when He said to the 
man, "Follow me; and let the dead bury their 
dead." 

No excuse will excuse us before God. He 
calls. He says now. "Today is the day of sal- 
vation." To wait for a convenient time, or until 
conditions are favorable, or until we are ready 
or "feel like it," is to stay away from Jesus 
Christ. 

Certainly it is right to gather harvests, edu- 
cate the young, prepare for the duties and re- 
sponsibilities of life, buy homes, care for the 
sick and dying, but above it all and vastly more 
important than all else combined is our duty to 
God and our own soul in getting right and keep- 
ing right with Him. "Follow me; and let the 
dead bury their dead." 

Duties never conflict. He who seeks "first 
the kingdom of God and his righteousness" will 
have all the time necessary to attend to every 
legitimate duty that comes upon him. 



THE SECRET OF SUCCESS. 

"Jesus shall reign where'er the sun 
Does his successive journeys run; 
His kingdom spread from shore to shore 
Till moons shall wax and wane no more. 

"From north to south the princes meet, 
To pay their homage at his feet; 
While western empires own their Lord, 
And savage tribes attend his word. 

"People and realms of every tongue 
Dwell on his love with sweetest song, 
And infant voices shall proclaim 
Their early blessings on his name." 

"And /, if I be lifted up from the earth, will 
draw all men unto me."— John 12:32. 

The desire to succeed touches and influences 
every phase of secular and religious life. The 
farmer plows the soil, sows the seed and culti- 
vates the crop, hoping to reap an abundant har- 
vest. The physician desires to relieve suffering 
humanity to the extent that he may merit the 
(109) 



1 1 Food For The Soul. 

reputation of a successful physician. Laboring 
men desire to perform the work committed to 
their charge in such manner that they may be 
promoted in position and secure an increase in 
salary. What is true in this respect among the 
few classes named is as true among the many 
which are not mentioned, and this desire among 
them all is legitimate. A man is unworthy of 
any position in which he does not endeavor to 
succeed. 

The desire to succeed is as much in evidence 
in the Church as it is in temporal affairs. The 
solution of this problem in the Church is simple 
and the conditions are easily met. "And I, if 
I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men 
unto me." Jesus Christ is the Divine Magnet. 
Lift Him up and He will draw the world to 
Himself. But in order to draw the people, He 
must be lifted up "from the earth." 

On the farm He must be lifted higher than 
the sowing of seeds and the gathering of crops ; 
in the store He must be lifted higher than the 



Food For The Soul. 1 1 1 

weighing of groceries, measuring of dry goods 
and counting of moneys; in the home He must 
be lifted higher than the sweeping of floors, 
cooking of meals and the washing of clothes; 
in the school He must be lifted higher than the 
study and recitation of lessons; and in the 
church He must be lifted higher than die plane 
of social entertainment. Everywhere Jesus 
must be lifted up "from the earth," high and 
over all. 

Once He was lifted up — that was by His 
enemies; now He must be lifted up by His 
friends. Once He was lifted up — then He died; 
now He must be lifted up alive. We must lift 
Him up in our thoughts, in our desires, in our 
words, and in our actions; in business and in 
the church, everywhere, all the time, Jesus 
Christ must be lifted up "from the earth." 

It is not difficult to make a mistake here. It 
is an easy matter to emphasize in thought and in 
announcement the new church, the fine organ, 
the good choir; or in preaching or giving testi- 



1 1 2 Food For The Soul 

mony one might unconsciously stress a theory 
or even an attainment of grace until the hearers 
lose sight of Jesus in seeing something else. All 
the things mentioned above may have a ten- 
dency to draw, but they will draw to them- 
selves and not to Jesus Christ. "There is no 
other name under heaven given among men, 
whereby we must be saved," but the name of 
Jesus. Eliminate Him and the hope of heaven 
is blotted out, but lift Him up "from the earth" 
and He will draw all men unto Himself. 

The man who wants wealth may find an "in- 
heritance, incorruptible and undefiled" in Jesus 
Christ. The man who wants the best and truest 
of associations may find the "friend that stick- 
eth closer than a brother" in Jesus Christ. The 
man who wants to succeed in life may find that 
"whatsoever he doeth shall prosper" in Jesus. 
The man who wants knowledge may find "that 
wisdom which cometh from above" in Jesus 
Christ. The man who is severely tested and 
sorely tried under the hand of Satan may find 
"a way of escape" in Jesus Christ. 



Food For The Soul 1 13 

Jesus is the Savior of the world. Jesus is the 
Savior of all men — the rich and the poor; the 
young and the old; the well and the sick — all 
men. There is a deep hunger in the hearts of 
men for Jesus Christ. Hold Him up. Give 
Him and the world a chance. Here is the solu- 
tion of the problem of reaching the masses. 
John the Baptist solved that problem out in the 
wilderness of Judea by holding Him up "whose 
shoe Iatchets he was not worthy to unloose,*' 
and when he did it, "all Jerusalem, all Judea, 
and all the regions round about Jordan" went to 
see Jesus. Peter solved the same problem on 
the day of Pentecost by holding Him up whom 
"they had taken and by wicked hands had cru- 
cified and slain." And seeing Him, three thou- 
sand were converted to God in a single day. 
This is the way to have revivals now. This is 
die way to get souls converted. This is tire way 
to build up the church. "And I, if I be lifted 
up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." 



FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST. 

^Oh Holy, Holy Ghost! 

Pervade this soul of mine; 
In me renew thy Pentecost, 

Reveal thy power divine !" 

"And they were all filled with the Holy 
ChosC— Acts 2:4; Acts 4:31. 

This scripture is significant. It occurs twice 
in the Bible; that is, the same words are found 
in two different places as noted above, and each 
refers to a separate time, place and company of 
people. This did not happen by chance. God 
was in it. God put a lesson and a blessing in it 
for us. 

On the morning of the day of Pentecost, the 
little company in the upper room having waited 
and consecrated and prayed until the time for 
(115) 



1 1 6 Food For The Soul 

the fulfillment of the promise of the Father had 
fully come, "suddenly there came a sound from 
heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled 
all the house where they were sitting. And 
there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as 
of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they 
were all filled with the Holy Ghost." Thev 
"tarried" according to the command of the Sa- 
vior, and the "promise of the Father" was given 
as a result. Marvelous displays of God's con- 
victing and converting and preserving power 
followed immediately after the occasion when 
"they were all filled with the Holy Ghost." 
The same day about three thousand souls were 
converted. The next day other thousands were 
added to the company of believers. The stream 
of salvation deepened and widened on its on- 
ward course. All classes were being reached. 
Souls were being converted to God. Within a 
short time "the number of men was about five 
thousand," who believed in the Lord Jesus 
Christ. 



Food For The Soul 1 1 7 

Aboirt three days after Pentecost the vast 
company of believers met and held an experi- 
ence and prayer meeting. There were thou- 
sands of new converts present and all joined 
heartily in the service. Great and glorious and 
unmistakable as the conversion of these new be- 
lievers had been, occurring as it did under the 
very shadows of Pentecost, yet God had some- 
thing more for them, and on the occasion in 
question "when they had prayed, the place was 
shaken where they were assembled together ; and 
they were all filled with the Holy Ghost." 

Several days after, just the same as on the 
day of Pentecost believers were "filled with the 
Holy Ghost." And as "one day is with the 
Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years 
as one day," we have Scriptural warrant for be- 
lieving that today, just the same as on the day of 
Pentecost, believers are entitled to the "prom- 
ise of the Father" and may, and will on meet- 
ing the conditions required, be "filled with the 
Holy Ghost." In the sight of God believers to- 



1 1 8 Food For The Soul 

day are no further removed from Pentceost, 
when the Holy Ghost was first given, than was 
the great company in Acts 4:31 when "they 
were all filled with the Holy Ghost" It is not 
the anno domini, but the consecrated heart that 
attracts the Holy Ghost. 

In the first instance it was a company of one 
hundred and twenty, and in the second a com- 
pany of thousands that were "filled with the 
Holy Ghost." God's power to cleanse the 
heart from inbred sin is not limited by numbers. 
He is ready to bestow this great blessing si- 
multaneously upon a whole family, a whole 
church, a whole community or a whole city, 
should all be ready to receive Him at once. On 
the other hand the Holy Ghost will not be with- 
held from the individual who hungers aijd 
thirsts after righteousness and presents his body 
a living sacrifice to God. When the conditions 
are fully met by a single person, or any num- 
ber of people, then and there, immediately, 
"suddenly," "they are all filled with the Holy 



Food For The Soul 119 

Ghost/* There is no danger of God's power 
being exhausted on the great company nor of 
his overlooking the individual in searching for 
the multitude. He still observes the falling 
sparrow. 

In Acts 2:4 the company receiving the Holy 
Ghost was made up of leaders, such as the apos- 
tles and a few elect women. Their names are 
not all known, but it is evident that they were a 
people of stalwart character and capable of 
leadership anywhere. Because of this fact 
some may conclude that the gift of die Holy 
Ghost is for preachers and other leaders in re- 
ligious work only. It is an easy task to decide 
that die pastor, the Sunday school superintend- 
ent, the class leader and others occupying posi- 
tions of holy trust should be "filled with the 
Holy Ghost.*' But what about the others? 
Pentecost overflows in the second chapter of 
the Acts and runs both ways. In Acts 4:31 
a company of thousands received their Pente- 
cost. And that company was made up of law- 



1 20 Food For The Soul. 

yers, doctors, merchants, farmers, blacksmiths, 
carpenters, old men, young men and all other 
classes. So it is : the gift of the Holy Ghost is 
as much for the layman as for the minister. 
"Whosoever will" may have Him. 

In the first instance it is evident that all who 
received the Holy Ghost were old Christians, 
or men and women who had loved and served 
and followed Jesus for a comparatively long 
time and had endured much for his name's sake, 
especially during the trying days of his arrest 
and trial and crucifixion. That company of 
faithful men and women deserved the blessing 
that God bestowed upon them in the upper 
room. But what about the many who are young 
in Christian experience and have never been 
called upon to suffer great trials for the Master, 
and yet there is a soul hunger and longing for 
the Holy Ghost that nothing else can satisfy? 
Must they wait for years and trials to elapse be- 
fore they can get what they want and need and 
should have now? The second text strikes a 



Food For The Soul. 121 

death blow to that theory. Here thousands 
were filled with the Holy Ghost who had been 
converted but a few days, or a single day or less 
than a day. Neither the past nor the record of 
the past, but the present only, has to do with re- 
ceiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. No matter 
how old nor how young, nor how long nor how 
short a time one has been converted to God, the 
moment the conditions are met the Holy Ghost 
will be given. 

In both the first and the second instance of 
the text the companies "filled with the Holy 
Ghost" were made up of believers. That proves 
that none but believers are eligible to the bap- 
tism with the Holy Ghost. Yet there's hope 
for the sinner and backslider. On condition of 
repentance and faith God will forgive the sinner 
and on the same condition he will restore the 
backslider. Then they are numbered among 
believers and entitled as believers to the gift of 
the Holy Ghost. 



TAKING THE NAME OF THE LORD 

IN VAIN. 

A charge to keep I have 

A God to glorify; 
A never-dying soul to save, 

And fit it for the sky. 

To serve the present age, 

My calling to fulfill, 
O may it all my powers engage, 

To do my Master's will. 

Arm* me with jealous care, 
As in thy sight to live; 
And O, thy servant, Lord prepare, 
A strict account to give. 

Help me to watch and pray, 

And on thyself rely, 
Assured, if I my trust betray, 

I shall forever die. 

—Charles Wesley. 

(123) 



1 24 Food For The Soul. 

"Thou shall not take the name of the Lord 
thy God in vain." — Exodus 20:7. 

The third commandment is broken oftener 
and by more people perhaps than any other. 
Common swearing is carried on to an alarming 
extent; on streets, on farms, on roads while at 
work and while in idleness, all the time and 
everywhere, men swear. The Lord's name is 
taken in vain before young people and even in 
the presence of children. In some instances this 
may be thoughtlessness and in others it is pure 
viciousness. Neither is excusable. Both are 
wrong. He who breaks the third command- 
ment is guilty of sin before God and will be 
judged and punished accordingly as a trans- 
gressor of divine law. There is no way of es- 
cape. God Almighty will see that offenders 
are brought to justice. However, common 
swearing, useless and sinful as it is, is but one 
among the many ways in which the third com- 
mandment is broken. 



Food For The Soul 1 25 

All who are baptized are admitted to that 
holy sacrament "in the name of the Father, and 
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" They 
have received an outward and visible token in 
the sight of heaven and earth, and in the pres- 
ence of God and man, of an inward condition 
of heart or state of grace which is diametrically 
opposed to sin in all of its forms and manifesta- 
tions. The mark of God is upon them. The 
name of the Holy Trinity is worn by them. An 
unworthy life after baptism, to say nothing 
about committing actual sins, is taking the name 
of the Lord in vain. How much it must grieve 
God to see one who is bearing His name, with 
the outward mark of inward purity upon him, 
wallowing in the muck and mire of sin ! 

Further: Everyone taking a profession of 
Christianity is known by the church and the 
world henceforth as "Christian." No matter 
how wicked he may have been before the pro- 
fession was made, the whole world forgives and 
is willing to forget the past and the new life 



126 Food For The Soul. 

dates from the day and hour when he professed 
faith in Jesus Christ. His new name, "Chris- 
tian/* comes from Christ and means Christ- 
likeness. The old life with its habits and appe- 
tites of sin is gone, and new life — Christ-life — 
is put on. How careful we should be in wear- 
ing the name of our Savior lest we wear it un- 
worthily or in some unguarded moment permit 
it to become soiled and besmirched with stains 
of sin! "Thou shalt not take the name of the 
Lord thy God in vain." The crime is punish- 
able by eternal banishment from the presence 
of Him whose name has been dragged into the 
dust. 

Again Marriage ceremonies are solemnized 
"in the name of the Father and of the Son and 
of the Holy Ghost." In the name of the Holy 
Trinity the union is consummated and the man 
and woman step forth as one, in His name, to 
"love, honor, cherish and keep" until separated 
by death. How much God is dishonored in di- 



Food For The Soul 127 

vorce scandals and how greatly His name is 
taken in vain! 

There may be no divorce but a failure to 
love or honor or cherish or keep 
"until death" and in that failure God's holy 
name is taken in vain, His law is broken, and 
the thunders of Sinai are pealing out die doom 
of those who transgress the divine law. 



DISAPPOINTED SEEKERS. 

"O where shall rest be found, 

Rest for the weary soul? 
'Twere vain the ocean's depths to sound, 

Or pierce to either pole. 

"The world can never give 

The bliss for which we sigh; 
'Tis not the whole of life to live, 

Nor all of death to die." 

"Woe to them that go down to Egypt for 
help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, 
because they are many; and in horsemen, be-' 
cause they are very strong, but they look not un- 
to the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the 
Lord." — Isaiah 31 :!. 

Man has an inwrought consciousness of a fu- 
ture state. This consciousness has existed 
through all the ages of the history of the human 
family. No matter how high the state of civi- 
lization, nor how low the depths of barbarism; 
nor how great the progress in divine life, nor 
how far removed from God by sin, there is, in 
all alike, a consciousness of a future state, or a 
(129) 



1 30 Food For The Soul. 

something that gives assurances that this life does 
not end all. 

This consciousness produces a desire, more or 
less clearly defined, for preparation for the fu- 
ture state. And this desire produces a worship- 
ful attitude of the heart, and the heart goes out 
in proportion to the desire to some being, from 
whom, preparation for the future is sought. 

In countries where God is not known, idols 
are worshipped. Men in their blindness pour 
out their hearts' affection in a touching manner 
to objects which have no eyes to see, no ears to 
hear, no heart to love, no arm to lift and no 
power to save. But among people where God 
is known idols are discarded. Light has come. 
Still all do "not look unto the Holy One of 
Israel, neither seek the Lord" even in countries 
where He is known. The desire to get some- 
thing without earning it or paying for it pre- 
vails among many. 

Heaven as a goal is desired but the means of 
obtaining it are not always desirable. 



Food For The Soul. 1 3 1 

"Some go down to Egypt for help, and stay 
on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are 
many; and in horsemen, because they are very 
strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of 
Israel, neither seek the Lord." Among those 
who go to Egypt for help and are trying to get 
to heaven by "climbing up some other way" are 
the people who trust in and worship the follow- 
ing things: 

Moral uprightness. There are people today 
who, like the rich young lawyer, expect to get 
to heaven because they are not guilty of any 
crimes for which they could be convicted in a 
civil court. They glory in and boast of their 
moral uprightness. So did the Scribes and 
Pharisees. Moral uprightness is all right as far 
as it goes but the trouble is it does not go far 
enough. 

Theory of Cod's Goodness. The fact that 
God is love and that his love is poured out in 
blessings upon His creation is taken as an evi- 
dence that He is too good to punish one of His 



1 32 Food For The Soul. 

children and that all therefore will be saved re- 
gardless of the lives they live. They refuse to 
be awakened and rescued from their burning, 
sinking ship. 

Church Membership. And others feel per- 
fectly secure spiritually because they have mem- 
bership in some church. They know no change 
of heart and have no experience in saving faith, 
and yet expect to be saved simply because they 
are members of the church. 

What a vast company on their way to Egypt 
for help. What a disappointment they will 
meet in the end! "Woe to them that go down 
to Egypt for help!" Woe to them that trust in 
moral uprightness for help; woe to them that 
trust in the theory of God's goodness for help; 
woe to them that trust in church membership 
and the like for help! 

We are the servants of the object we serve. 
There is no power in any of the objects named 
above which can forgive sins and cleanse the 
heart. 



THE CONSECRATED LIFE. 

"Jesus, I my cross have taken, 

All to leave, and follow thee; 
Naked, poor, despised, forsaken, 

Thou, from hence, my all shalt be: 
Perish every fond ambition, 

All I've sought, and hoped, and known; 
Yet how rich is my condition, 

God and heaven are still my own! 

"Let the world despise and leave me, 

They have left my Savior too: 
Human hearts and looks deceive me; 

Thou art not, like man, untrue; 
And, while thou shalt smile upon me, 

God of wisdom, love, and might, 
Foes may hate, and friends may shun me; 

Show thy face, and all is bright." 

"/ beseech you therefore, brethren, by the 
mercies of Cod, that ye present your bodies a 
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto Cod, 
tvhich is your reasonable service" — Rom. 12:1. 

Animals were used in offering sacrifices. An- 
(133) 



134 Food For The Soul. 

imals thus used were without spot or blemish, 
the best of the Sock. They were slain, placed 
upon the altar, and consumed by fire. The al- 
tar was built of earth and stone, dedicated to 
God and used for holy purposes. The sacrifice 
upon it was lifted above and separated from the 
earth and went up in smoke and flame as an of- 
fering to God. The sacrifice, by virtue of be- 
ing on the altar, God's holy place, was holy. 

In his letter to the Roman Christians Paul 
says: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the 
mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a 
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, 
which is your reasonable service/* 

The dispensation has changed. Jesus Christ 
takes the place of the altar of stone and earth, 
and man the place of the animal in sacrifices. 

Therefore we do not bring animals, but our- 
selves, as offerings to the Lord. We do not slay 
animals, but die to sin ourselves. We do not 
place an animal on an earthen altar as an offer- 
ing to the Lord, but we present our own bodies 



Food For The Soul. 1 35 

to God on Jesus Christ, the Holy Altar. We 
do not look for a literal fire to consume material 
objects brought in service, but for the Holy 
Ghost and fire from Heaven to go through our 
soul, purging us from everything that is unholy 
and displeasing in the sight of God. We do not 
expect to see earthen altars empty and waiting 
for other sacrifices, but our own bodies con- 
stantly on Jesus Christ, a living sacrifice, with 
the fires of Pentecost blazing and glowing 
throughout the entire being, with every word 
and every act going up to God in acceptable ser- 
vice. 

This is in short what Paul meant in his letter 
to the Roman Christians by exhorting them to 
present their bodies a living sacrifice to God. 
His exhortation was not to the Roman Chris- 
tians only, but to American Christians as well ; 
not to believers who were converted under his 
personal ministry and were contemporaneous 
with him exclusively, but to believers in Jesus 
Christ everywhere and in all ages the same. 



136 Food For The Soul 

The first verse of the twelfth chapter of Ro- 
mans is an exhortation to a wholesale consecra- 
tion of the body to God, which implies conse- 
crated hands, feet, eyes, lips, tongues, ears, the 
whole being. The apostle exhorts us to "pre- 
sent" our bodies to God. In making a present 
of anything the ownership of the objects pre- 
sented goes from the presenter to the presentee. 
In consecration we present — make a present of 
— our bodies to God. They are then no longer 
ours, but His; His to occupy; His to control, 
His to use for His own glory. His right to His 
presents must not be disputed. 

Hohj Hands. Our hands are given to God. 
They belong to Him. They are not ours. Be- 
ing God's, they are not to touch nor handle any- 
thing that is displeasing to Him whose they are. 
Goodbye forever cards, wine-glasses, tobacco, 
and voting whiskey tickets! Holy hands 
"touch not," "handle not" such things. 

Holy Feet. Our feet the same as our hands 
are given to God in consecration, in which act 



Food For The Soul 1 37 

their ownership passes from us to Him. Holy 
feet. Steps ordered of the Lord. Feet swift to 
go on errands of love and mercy and service 
for their owner. Theatre, circus, dance, saloon, 
— goodbye; God's feet never turn your ways 
nor make tracks toward your places of business. 

Holy Eyes. The eyes, "the windows of the 
soul" are not reserved but included when we 
make a present of our body to God, so they, 
equally with the hands and feet, become holy as 
they are the Lord's. They are not to look on 
sin of any character covetously nor be used for 
the purpose of reading anything of which God 
disapproves. Holy eyes feast on holy things, 
and are quick to see opportunities to do holy 
service for the King. 

Holy Lips and Tongue. "Keep thy tongue 
from evil and thy lips from speaking guile." 
"The tongue can no man tame." The only 
cure for the tongue is to make a present of it to 
the Lord, putting it under His control and use, 
which is implied in consecration. A consecra- 



1 38 Food For The Soul 

tion that does not cover the body including the 
tongue as well as the other members is not en- 
tire. God cannot accept it. The tongue and 
lips that are God's will speak words of bless- 
ing and cheer and comfort and helpfulness, and 
prayer and praise. Nothing that has the ap- 
pearance of profanity or lightness or foolishness 
will fall from the lips that are consecrated to 
God. Holy lips; a holy tongue. 

Holy Ears. Once a man who professed to 
be holy who confessed that it was very hard for 
him to live right because he heard many things 
that were detrimental to Christian meditation 
and growth in grace. No wonder. He spent 
much of his time "loafing" on the streets and in 
company with people who delighted in no other 
conversations so much as that which was impure. 
Holy ears must be closed to all manner of con- 
versation that is dishonoring to God, and open 
wide to all that is pure and holy and honoring 
to the Master. 

Holy Being. The whole being is God's; 



Food For The Soul. 139 

heart to be his throne; ears to hear his mes- 
sages; hands to do his bidding; feet to go on his 
errands; lips to sing his praises; tongue to tell 
his love ; will to obey his commands ; the whole 
being on Jesus Christ, the Christian's altar; no 
part of the sacrifice touching the world. 

This is Scriptural consecration to God, and 
when it is deliberately made faith takes hold up- 
on the promises of the word, the Holy Ghost 
leaps from the skies into the soul, the blood of 
Jesus Christ is applied to the heart in cleansing, 
and an inwrought consciousness of being "every 
whit whole" pervades the whole being. 



JESUS FEEDING THE MULTITUDE. 

"All things are ready, come, 

Come to the supper spread; 
Come, rich and poor, old and young, 

Come, and be richly fed. 

"All things are ready, come, 

The invitation's given, 
Through Him who now in glory sits, 

At God's right hand in heaven. 

"All things are ready, come, 

The door is open wide; 
O feast upon the love of God 

For Christ, his Son, has died. 

"All things are ready, come, 

Tomorrow may not be; 
O sinner, come, the Savior waits, 

This hour to welcome thee." 

"They need not depart."— Matt. 14:16. 

Jesus and His disciples were in a desert place. 

The day was far spent. Night was at hand. A 

company of five thousand men, besides women 

and children, all of whom were hungry, sur- 

(141) 



142 Food For The Soul. 

rounded them. In all die company there were 
but five loaves of bread and two small fishes, 
and it was some distance to stores where sup- 
plies and provisions could be purchased. 

The gathering of the multitude in the desert 
brought with it a responsibility which Jesus and 
His disciples had to meet. And even so, the 
gathering of people in our Sunday schools, 
prayer meetings, missions and at our regular 
church services brings a responsibility which the 
leaders in charge must face. 

The disciples, seeing the dilemma in which 
they were placed, feeling the responsibility 
which the gathering multitude had brought, and 
being solicitous for the temporal, as well as the 
spiritual welfare of the people about them, sug- 
gested to Jesus, as it appeared to them, the only 
plausible solution of the difficult prdblem: 
"Send the multitude away, that they may go 
into the villages and buy for themselves vic- 
tuals.'* The suggestion of the disciples carried 
with it the thought of 



Food For The Soul. 1 43 

Delay. It would take time to go to the vil- 
lages. 

Obtaining elsewhere what was needed there. 
"There is a lad here, which hath five barley 
loaves and two small fishes; but what are they 
among so many?" "Send them away." 

Difficult personal effort. It would have been 
no light task for hungry people to go over the 
hills and through the valleys in the darkness of 
the night hunting for something to eat. 

"But Jesus said unto them, They need not 
depart; give ye them to eat." The mission of 
Jesus was not to add weight to burdens on the 
hearts of the people, nor pain to the sufferings of 
the afflicted. Then was the time, and there 
was the place for the hungry to be fed. "They 
need not depart." They did not depart. They 
were fed. They were filled. There was 
enough and to spare. "And they did all eat, and 
were filled; and they took up of the fragments 
that remained twelve baskets full. And they 
that had eaten were about five thousand men, 



1 44 Food For The Soul. 

besides women and children. M Je9us did il» 
and He is as ready to save now as He was to 
feed the hungry multitude then. He is here 
now. "Today is the day of salvation." Delaj 
is dangerous. Delay carries with it the possi- 
bility of losing the soul. 

But notice: Before the hungry multitude 
could be fed there was something for every one 
in the great company to do, and that was to 
obey the command of Him who alone could 
feed them. His command was reasonable, easy 
to comply with, quickly obeyed, and they were 
fed. It was: "Sit down on the grass." Before 
the sinner can be saved or the backslider re- 
claimed, each for himself must obey the com- 
mand of God. "I am the door." "He that 
entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but 
climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief 
and a robber." "Neither is there salvation in 
any other: for there is none other name given 
under heaven among men, whereby we must be 
saved." 



FELLOWSHIP WITH JESUS. 

Thou in whose presence my soul takes delight, 

On whom in affliction I call, 
My comfort by day, and my song in the night, 

My hope, my salvation, my all! 

Where dost thou, dear Shepherd, resort with thy 
sheep, 

To feed them in pastures of love? 
Say. why in the valley of death should I weep, 

Or alone in this wilderness rove? 

Dear Shepherd, I hear and will follow thy call; 

I know the sweet sound of thy voice, 
Restore and defend me, for thou art my all, 

And in thee I will ever rejoice. 

—J. Swain. 

The soul alone, like a neglected harp, 

Grows out of tune, and needs a hand divine; 

Dwell Thou within it, tune and touch the chords, 
Till every note and string shall answer thine. 

Abide in me! there have been moments pure 
When I have seen thy face and felt thy power. 

Then evil lost its grasp, and passion, hushed, 
Owned the divine enchantment of the hour. 

(145) 



1 46 Food For The Soul 

There were but seasons beautiful and rare; 

Abide in me, and they shall ever be! 
Fulfill at once Thy precept and my prayer 

Come and abide in me and I in Thee. 

— Harriett Beecher Stowc. 



"Lo t / am with you alway, even unto the end 
of the world. 99 — Matt. 28:20. 

These were gracious words to the apostles. 
Some three years prior to the time when Jesus 
uttered them the disciples, at His call, left their 
all in order to follow Him. Just what they ex- 
pected as a result may be a little uncertain now; 
but the fact that they followed Him remains, 
and that fact is worthy of consideration. Where 
He went, they went; as He fared, they fared; 
His friends were their friends, and His enemies 
were their enemies also. They followed Je- 
sus literally. 

But there came a time when He was taken 
from them. Wicked hands were laid upon 
Him. He was mocked, scourged, crucified and 



Food For The Soul. 147 

buried. Poor apostles. Where were they? 
What were their thoughts? Their Leader, He 
for whom they had given up all, was dead and 
in His grave ! But what was the grave or the 
bonds of death to Him who has "all power in 
heaven and in earth?" 

The grave opened. He came forth as He 
said. The night was passed. Morning dawn- 
ed, and the light of an endless day scattered the 
gloom. He appeared to His apostles. He 
talked with them. He breathed on them. 
Death had not separated Him from them, but 
brought Him nearer to them. He called them 
by name. It was Jesus! He loved his apos- 
tles. He knew the darkness, the gloom and the 
doubt through which they had passed because 
of His absence, and now He assures them, "Lo, 
I am with you alway, even unto the end of 
the world." Gracious words! 

These words were spoken as much for the 
Christians of the twentieth century as they were 
for the apostles on whose ears they fell. They 



148 Food For The Soul. 

were theirs then. They are ours now. They 
suggest — 

Personal Acquaintance. He knows us. We 
know Him. Personal acquaintance with Him 
began when the Holy Spirit convicted us of sin 
and we sought the Lord with the whole heart 
and found Him, to the joy of the soul. It was 
Jesus whose power wrought the change in the 
heart. How lovely He was ! How inadequate 
the power of human words to express the joys 
of the heart! Getting acquainted with Jesus! 
How humble we felt in His holy presence ! 
How exalted we felt in being permitted to form 
personal acquaintance with Jesus Christ! 
Sweet and precious as was the beginning, the 
sweetness and preciousness have deepened as 
die time of our acquaintance lengthened. It is 
a great blessing to be acquainted with good 
men, but a greater blessing to be acquainted 
with Him whose power enables them to be good. 

Personal Companionship. By adoption we 



Food For The Soul. 1 49 

become "heirs of God and joint heirs with Je- 
sus Christ." The riches, the glories, the joys, 
the heaven, the life that are His are ours also. 
And in this close and holy relationship we are 
companions — "Jesus and I." Through the day 
and through the night; in hours of joy and pain; 
at home and abroad; in life and in death, all 
the time, everywhere, He is with us. "Lo, I am 
with you alway, even unto the end of the 
world." 

Personal Conversation. Jesus talks with us 
and permits us to talk with Him. The Bible 
is His Word. The Holy Spirit lights the page 
and anoints the eye and we behold wondrous 
things in His Word. There are His com- 
mands, His promises, His blessings, His an- 
swers to all questions. We talk to Him in pray- 
er. He hears. He answers. The ears of the 
soul hear the voice of the Spirit. How sweet 
and how blessed the privilege of talking with 
Jesus. A talk with a good man is a coveted 
privilege. How much greater the privilege of 



1 50 Food For The Soul. 

personally communing with Jesus, and that too 
all the time, for He says, "Lo, I am with you 
alway, even unto the end of the world." 

Mutual Confidence. God has confidence in 
His children. Even after die race had fallen 
He believed that if it were possible for man to 
be saved he would repent, come back, recover 
and retain his lost estate, and so He opened the 
way for man's salvation through Jesus Christ. 
He has confidence in the repentant sinner and 
pardons his sins. He has confidence sufficient 
in His children to make them co-workers with 
Himself in bringing the lost to the Savior. He 
has confidence sufficient in His children to trust 
them with His grace, His power, His love, His 
likeness, and the name and spirit of His Son. 
"And this is the confidence we have in Him, 
that, if we ask anything according to His will, 
He heareth us." Our confidence in Him was 
never misplaced. In every good thing He has 
more than met our fondest anticipations, and so 
we go on with the bond of union — mutual con- 



Food For The Soul 1 5 1 

fidence between God and His children — ever 
increasing and strengthening. 

Mutual Interest. God is interested in us and 
we are interested in Him. Interest begets inter- 
est, His dealings with us are a long record of 
His love for, His kindness to, His long-suffering 
toward, and His interest in us as His children. 
He has an interest in what we are and in all we 
think and do and say. He who does not permit 
a sparrow to fall to the ground without His no- 
tice, and knows the number of hairs upon our 
heads, will never cease to be interested in His 
children. He is interested in our temporal as 
well as in our spiritual affairs. And we likewise 
are interested in our Father, His work, His 
cause everywhere, and everything that adds 
glory to His holy name. 

Mutual Helpfulness. God needs us and we 
need Him; He helps us and we help Him. All 
that the soul needs is found in Jesus Christ and 
given freely to all who trust Him fully. He for- 
gives, cleanses, and keeps us by His own pow- 



1 52 Food For The Soul. 

er, and then in turn we let our light shine, we 
are witnesses for Him, we fast, we pray, we in- 
vite sinners to Jesus, and are living examples be- 
fore the world of the transforming power of 
God's grace in the heart. He helps us. We 
help Him. In mutual helpfulness our weak- 
ness is lost in His strength, and with Paul we are 
enabled to say, "I can do all things through 
Christ which strengthened me." And this holy 
fellowship with Jesus Christ continue?. "Lo, 
I am with you alway, even to the end of die 
world/* 



THE CROSS AND THE CROSSES. 

When I survey the wondrous cross 
On which the Prince of Glory died, 

My richest gain I count but loss. 
And pour contempt on all my pride. 

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, 
Save in the death of Christ, my God; 

All the vain things that charm me most, 
I sacrifice them to his blood. 

See, from his head, his hands, his feet, 
Sorrow and love flow mingled down; 

Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, 
Or thorns compose so rich a crown? 

Were the whole realm of nature mine, 
That were a present far too small; 

Love so amazing, so divine, 

Demands my soul, my life, my all. 

— Isaac Watts. 

"There they crucified him, and the malefac- 
tors, one on the right hand, and the other on the 
left:— Luke 23:33. 

The day on which Jesus was crucified repre- 
sents in some senses the period of time embraced 
in an individual life. The cross, and the 
crosses, have their significance. 
(153) 



1 54 Food For The oSul 

Publicity. The cross was planted in a public 
place, — just outside the city wall, on Mount 
Calvary, near the main thoroughfare leading to 
the Jordan and regions north, south and east. 
Its position there was not by accident. An un- 
seen, but never erring hand directed events. 
The position of the cross was so public that it 
met die full gaze of all classes that day. The 
friends and enemies of Jesus saw his cross; the 
indifferent, the curious, the blasphemous and 
murderous mob, his apostles, his mother, all 
alike, saw the cross; the multitudes going into 
and coming out of the city on social, business 
and religious errands, all saw the cross of Jesus; 
no matter as to their thought concerning Him or 
His cross, and no matter whether or not they de- 
sired to see it, the cross stood before their eyes. 
It could not be covered from their view. They 
could not go around it. They were compelled 
to see the Cross of Jesus Christ. 

How significant today ! The cross of Jesus is 
before our eyes. No matter what we desire, 



Food For The Soul. 1 55 

what we do, what we say, where we go, nor 
what we are, the cross of Jesus is before us. It is 
everywhere, and more prominent than anything 
else. Whether we believe in it or not; whether 
we want to believe in it or not; and no matter 
as to our business and social relations or moral 
conditions, the cross of Jesus Christ is before us. 

Central Position. The cross of Jesus was 
not only planted in a public place, but it was 
given a central position in that public place. 
The cross stood in the center of the top of the 
hill, was the center of the three crosses, the cen- 
ter around which the multitude of both friends 
and enemies of Jesus thronged, and the center of 
all attractions on that memorable day. Did this 
happen by chance? Far from it. The cross 
of Jesus stands today in the center of the 
world's joy and sorrow, wealth and poverty, 
strength and weakness, and brightest day and 
darkest night. The cross is everywhere and the 
center of everything. 

Stationary. The cross of Jesus occupied a 



1 56 Food For The Soul. 

fixed position. The multitudes came and went; 
the hours of the day wore away; the sun was 
darkened and the earth shaken ; the people were 
in great confusion; some mocked and some 
prayed; some rejoiced and some wept, but in 
the midst of all, the cross of Jesus stood fixed. 
No change of scene or condition, crying or 
laughing, darkness or light, life or death, on or 
about the cross had any effect upon its position. 
Where it was planted in the morning it stood in 
the evening. 

The relation of the cross to our destiny is 
fixed. Empires rise and fall, races of man be- 
come extinct, histories are re-written and en- 
larged, creeds are revised, opinions change, but 
the cross of Jesus Christ abides. Where it stood 
in the days when our parents were converted, it 
stands now; and where it stood in the days of 
the Wesleys, Whitefield, Luther, Knox and 
others, it stands today; and where it stood on 
the day of Pentecost, it stands today. 



WASTED HIS SUBSTANCE. 

"Show pity, Lord, O Lord, forgive; 
Let a repenting rebel live: 
Are not thy mercies large and free? 
May not a sinner trust in thee? 

"My crimes are great, but don't surpass 
The power and glory of thy grace, 
Great God, thy nature hath no bound, 
So let thy pardoning love be found. 

"O wash my soul from every sin, 
And make my guilty conscience clean; 
Here on my heart the burden lies, 
And past offenses pain my eyes." 

"Wasted his substance." — Luke 15:13. 

The parable of the prodigal son is familiar. 
It will not be rehearsed here. But slight ref- 
erence will be made to the prodigal or his career 
further than the mention of the fact that he had 

(157) 



1 58 Food For The Soul. 

a good home, indulgent father, plenty of money 
and favorable opportunities to make a man of 
himself. Tiring of good things he demanded 
and secured his legal part of the estate and went 
into a far country and there "wasted his sub- 
stance/* 

Behold him now! Money gone, home for- 
saken, father rejected, friends deserted, supply 
of bread exhausted and clothes torn to tatters. 
He is in want, living with hogs and stealing their 
food in order to keep from starving to death, all 
because he "wasted his substance." He was in a 
deplorable condition, but there are cases equal- 
ly as deplorable among us now as his was then. 

Abuse of Wealth. A man who had an ele- 
gant home, good clothes, rich viands, and all the 
modern comforts and conveniences about him, 
tired of his abundance and ease and began to 
"waste his substance" in drinking, gambling and 
other forms of "riotous living." The sad story 
is quickly told. His family moved into a 
smaller house on a back street; then into anoth- 



Food For The Soul. 1 59 

er still smaller and further away, and then into a 
dirty, smoky hut. 

Think for a moment what this man and his 
family were and what they are; what they had 
and what they have, to eat, to wear. The an- 
swer for all this degradation and misery and 
shame is found in three little words; "wasted his 
substance." But there is a darker picture than 
that to fall upon the screen. 

Abuse of Friends. There is a young man in 
business. His opportunities have been good and 
he improved them well. He has character, 
ability, is worthy and succeeds. He makes 
friends, men who know him, men who trust him, 
men who confide in him and men who stand 
ready to help him to the equal extent of his need 
and their ability. 

The curtain drops. A brief space of time 
flies by. We see the young man again, but 
Where is he and what is he now? Dirty, ragged, 
homeless, penniless, dejected, hungry, friend- 
less. The long sad story of his pitiful fall is 



1 60 Food For The Soul. 

told in a few words, he "wasted his substance" 
of friendship; he abused and misused the confi- 
dence of his friends and is now reaping what he 
has sown. But there is a darker picture yet. 

Abuse of Position. There is a young man 
who holds a responsible position with a well 
known leading commercial establishment; his 
integrity is above suspicion, his services are in- 
valuable ; he handles millions of money annually 
for the firm and every cent is safe. In recogni- 
tion of his competency and honesty his salary, 
already large, is increased at the beginning of 
every quarter of the calendar year. What 
next? "Some day that young man will be 
president of the firm" is the word on many a 
tongue while everything in sight justifies such ex- 
pectation. 

But hark ! Sleep for a night. Rise up early 
and look for the young man. Where is he 
now? His former position is occupied by an- 
other while he has gone with the brand of dis- 
honesty stamped indelibly upon him. What is 



Food For The Soul 161 

the matter? The same old story; he "wasted 
his substance" of integrity, abused his position 
of trust and has been turned out a beggar. 
Pitiful plight; no money, no position, no po- 
sition open, no position to open because of his 
record. Yet there is something worse than that. 

Abuse of Health. There is a man of sym- 
metrical physique and perfect health. He has 
never had a touch of headache, neuralgia, rheu- 
matism, nor any other disease. From his in- 
fancy his health has been perfect. His face is 
red, his muscles are strong, his appetite is fault- 
less, he is a giant. 

But hold. Close your eyes for a little while 
and then look at him again. Pale, emaciated, 
thin, no appetite, full of disease, racked with 
pain, no strength, perfectly helpless. Why this 
great change in so short a time? He "wasted 
his substance" of health by abuses, dissipations, 
sowing the seeds of disease through his system, 
which sprung up, grew rapidly and produced an 
abundant harvest of physical devastation. Aw- 



1 62 Food For The Soul. 

ful condition, his. But there's something even 
worse. 

Abuse of Mind. Behold that man. He has 
gone through the academy, the college, the uni- 
versity and always stood at the head of his 
classes, graduating with highest honors. He 
spent several years abroad in study also. Being 
a diligent student from his youth, his mind is 
well stored with useful information. He is men- 
tally equipped to fill with credit any position 
within the gift of man. 

But alas! Now look at him again. That 
brilliant mind has become clouded; reason has 
flown ; and he is confined and kept under control 
by arms of steel. Why this fearful affliction? 
Why this unspeakably great calamity? The 
answer is the same — "'he wasted his substance" 
of mentality by abuse, filling it with thoughts 
and meditations and desires which fevered his 
brain and dethroned his reason, leaving him a 
mental wreck. Could anything be worse? Let 
us see. 



Food For The Soul. 1 63 

Abuse of Liberty. There is a man like other 
law-abiding citizens, who enjoys his liberty — -has 
never known anything else but liberty. 

But wait. The scene has changed, and the 
free man has become a prisoner, a convict. 
There he is in stripes, under guard, hard at work 
and with no liberty. And why? He "wasted 
his substance** of liberty by abusing his freedom. 
Being at liberty he chose to violate the laws 
which made him free and guarantee protection, 
and is now paying the penalty required of crimi- 
nals. "Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he 
also reap." 

We look with pitying eye and heart moved 
with sympathy on men who are paying the pen- 
alties for having broken the laws of sobriety, 
friendship, health, and integrity, but are there 
not all about us those who are "wasting their 
substance'* of opportunity to make peace with 
God, refusing God*s offers of mercy and hasten- 
ing on towards eternal night? 



OBTAINING AND RETAINING SAL- 
VATION. 

"There is a spot to me more dear 

Than native vale or mountain; 
A spot for which affection's tear 

Springs grateful from its fountain; 

'Tis not where kindred souls abound, 

Though that is almost heaven, 
But where I first my Savior found 

And felt my sins forgiven. 

"Hard was my toil to reach the shore, 

Long tossed upon the ocean; 
Above me was the thunder's roar, 

Beneath, the wave's commotions. 

"Darkly the pall of night was thrown 

Around me faint with terror; 
In that dark hour, how did my groans 

Ascend for years of error, 

"Sinking and panting as for breath 

I knew not help was near me; 
I cried, 'O save me, Lord, from death, 

Immortal Jesus, hear me!' 

(165) 



1 66 Food For The Soul. 



"Then quick as thought I felt him mine, 

My Savior stood before me. 
I saw his brightness 'round me shine 

And shouted, 'Glory! Glory!' 

"O sacred hour, O, hallowed spot! 

Where love divine first found me; 
Wherever falls my distant lot 

My heart shall linger round thee; 

"And when from earth I rise to soar 

Up to my home in heaven 
Down will I cast my eyes once more 

Where I was first forgiven." 



"As pe have therefore received Christ Jesus 
the Lord, so walk pe in Him" — Col. 2:6. 

This verse of Scripture calls for a retrospec- 
tion of the time, place and conditions under 
which we were converted to God. It is not dif- 
ficult to recall these important events by one in 
whose life they have taken place. As sudden, 
glorious and powerful as was the change at the 
time it was wrought in the heart by die Holy 
Spirit, the further we are removed from it by 



Food For The Soul 1 67 

years and experiences in grace, the deeper and 
more indelibly it is impressed upon our minds. 
In memory we never get further from conversion 
than yesterday, while the blessedness of it inten- 
sifies today. While memory lasts the day, the 
hour, the place and the conditions under which 
we found the Lord Jesus Christ will be fresh in 
our minds. 

Paul's purpose in calling for this retrospec- 
tion is stated definitely, "As ye have therefore 
received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in 
him." As — in the same manner — we received 
him then we are to walk — live — in him now. 
The Holy Spirit is retained in the heart under 
the same conditions that he was obtained in the 
beginning of the Christian life. This little verse 
offers security against backsliding. In walking 
according to its teachings we "grow in grace and 
in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus 
Christ," being "preserved blameless" and "kept 
unspotted from the world." 

The value of the retrospection of the text is 



1 68 Food For The Soul. 

that we can tell by the review whether or not 
we are living up to the requirements which are 
upon us, and if not, the cause of the failure can 
he determined and by the grace of God re- 
moved. We found him 

In Humility. When convicted by the Holy 
Spirit; when the eyes of our consciousness were 
opened to the danger to which we were exposed ; 
a vivid realization of certain doom pervading 
our entire being ; knowing that nothing but God 
Almighty's power could save our soul from 
hell, we became humble. We went down into 
the depths of humility feeling that the lowest at- 
titude of spirit was too exalted for us because we 
had broken the laws of God and justly deserved 
banishment from his presence forever and ever. 
In that condition of humility before God, w r hen 
all the other conditions of salvation were met, 
we found Jesus Christ. "As ye have therefore 
received Christ Jesus the Lord (in humility) so 
walk ye in him/' The Christian life is a life of 
humility. "For whosoever exalteth himself shall 



Food For The Soul. 1 69 

be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall 
be exalted." We found him 

In Fully Surrendering to Cod. When fully 
awakened by the Holy Spirit and pungently 
convicted of sin, knowing tSiat there was no way 
of escape from perdition, but through Jesus 
Christ, and knowing further that the condition 
on which God could accept us and pardon our 
sins was a full surrender to him, it did not take 
long to make up the mind what to do ; to accept 
God meant heaven: to reject Him meant hell; 
and nothing in all die world was plainer than 
that awful fact. God was ready to save. Jesus 
Christ was passing by. All things were ready. 
In that supreme moment, the soul's eternal des- 
tiny quivering in the balance of decision, die 
heart went out to God in conscious surrender, 
fittingly expressed in these lines : 

"Here I give my all to thee, 

Friends and time and earthly store; 

Soul and body thine to be, 
'Vholly thine forevermore." 



1 70 Food For The Soul 

Then and there, suddenly, in the twinkling of 
an eye, the change was wrought; our sins were 
pardoned and we were saved in Jesus Christ! 
In order to keep the salvation which God gave 
us then we are required to walk in Jesus now (in 
full surrender to God) as we found Him then. 
We found Him 

By Giving Up All Sin. Before our sins 
were pardoned we surrendered them all. God 
never forgives a sinner until he turns from and 
gives up all of his sins. No drunkard can be 
saved while he harbors a desire for a single 
drink. No swearer can be saved who expects 
to swear again, though it may be but a single 
oath. No man, no matter what his habits of sin 
may be, can be forgiven until he surrenders 
them. Some people vainly think that a Christian 
cannot live without committing sins. The fact 
is that no one ever became a Christian who did 
not quit sinning before becoming a Christian. 
God requires it. We must accept his conditions 
of salvation or we are lost. "As ye have there- 



Food For The Soul. 171 

fore received Christ Jesus the Lord (in giving 
up all sin) so walk ye in Him." We retain Him 
on the same conditions that we received Him. 
We found Him in 

Obedience to Cod. In a deep, conscious state 
of loving obedience to God we were converted. 
"Thy will, not mine, be done," was the keynote 
which first sounded the strains of joy in our soul. 
We were willing to go anywhere, carry any 
message, do any service, and be anything at the 
command of the Lord. "As ye have therefore 
received Christ Jesus the Lord (in obedience) 
so walk ye in Him." We received Him 

In Prayer. While in a state of conviction, 
fully surrendering to God, with a spirit of obe- 
dience, we prayed for forgiveness. The soul 
cried out with longings and groanings which 
could not be uttered in words, for a new heart. 
We were not afraid nor ashamed nor too tijnid 
to pray. We had something to pray for. The 
tongues of the flames of perdition were reaching 
and leaping towards our soul. There was but 



1 72 Food For The Soul 

one way of escape; one arm to save; one door 
of mercy, and that was Jesus Christ. In prayer 
we received Him. **As ye have therefore re- 
ceived Christ Jesus the Lord (in prayer) so 
walk ye in Him/' The Christian life is a life of 
prayer. The prayer that brought Jesus into the 
heart will keep Him there. We found Jesus 

In Faith. After all the other conditions of 
salvation were met our conversion depended up- 
on faith. It is impossible to have faith in God 
for the forgiveness of sins until the conditions of 
salvation have been met. No man while in the 
act of committing sin can exercise faith in God 
for the forgiveness of his sins. Faith for pardon 
must be preceded by convictions, repentance 
and surrender to God. When the way is clear, 
somehow there arises a heart consciousness of 
nearness to the Savior and of His willingness to 
save; an inwrought knowledge that there is 
nothing between the soul and God; sins all sur- 
rendered; the whole life willingly submitted to 
God; and then — far quicker than thought— faith 



Food For The Soul. 1 73 

grasps the Promiser of pardon and claims a new 
heart! It is done! Weeping endured for the 
night, but joy came with the morning. Faith 
was the key which unlocked the gate which sin 
had barred. "As ye have therefore received 
Christ Jesus the Lord (in faith) so walk ye in 
Him." The Christian life is a life of faith, 
"Without faith it is impossible to please God." 
Precisely as we were saved by faith we are kept 
saved by faith. 



THE CHURCH OF THE THESSA- 
LONIANS. 

"He leadeth me! blessed thought! 
O words with heavenly comfort fraught, 
Whate'er I do, where'er I be, 
Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me. 

"Sometimes 'mid scenes of deepest gloom, 
Sometimes where Eden's bowers bloom, 
By waters still, o'er troubled sea, 
Still tis God's hand that leadeth me. 

"Lord, I would clasp thy hand in mine, 
Nor ever murmur nor repine, 
Content, whatever lot I see, 
Since 'tis my God that leadeth me! 

"And when my task on *»arth is done, 
When, by thy grace, the victory's won, 
E'en death's cold wave I will not flee, 
Since God through Jordan leadeth me." 

"The very Cod of peace sanctify you whol- 
ly."— ] Thess. 5:23. 

(175) 



1 76 Food For The Soul. 

Much benefit may be derived from a careful 
study of the church at Thessalonica, as outlined 
by Paul in his First Letter to the Thessalonians, 
as follows: 

The Establishment of the Church. 
The Condition of the Church. 
The Further Need of the Church. 

In the study of this epistle keep the fact of 
its inspiration in the mind. "Holy men of God 
spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" 
The Word of God and not of Paul was record- 
ed. Furthermore it must be accepted just as 
God gave it, without either additions or subtrac- 
tions, for "If any man shall add unto these things 
God shall add unto him the plagues that are 
written in this book; and if any man shall take 
away from the words of the prophecy of this 
bock God shall take away his part out of the 
Book of Life, and out of the holy city, and 
from the things which are written in this book." 



Food For The Soul 177 

I. 

The former condition of the people of whom 
the THiessalonian Church was composed is given 
in First Thessalonians one and nine, "Ye 
turned to God from idols." They were idol- 
aters. 

Twenty years after the day of Pentecost 
Paul and Silas visited the city of Thessalonica 
on their evangelistic tour, and held a three 
weeks* revival. "Paul, as his manner was, 
went in unto them, and three Sabbath days rea- 
soned with them out of the Scriptures." His 
preaching had immediate effect upon the hearts 
and lives of the people. 

During the preaching of Paul "some of them 
(the Jews) believed, and consorted with Paul 
and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great 
multitude and of the chief women not a few!" 
Idolatrous worship was abandoned, the pardon 
of sins was earnestly sought and found, and 
many became followers of God. A society 
called "The Church of the Thessalonians" was 



1 78 Food For The Soul. 

formed, and Paul and Silas departed from the 
city. 

II. 

About one year after the establishment of the 
Church of the Thessalonians, Paul, inspired by 
the Holy Ghost, wrote them a letter in which 
the following facts concerning the condition of 
the church were made known : 

Not one of the converts had backslidden. 
Paul says of them: "Ye are all the children of 
light." What a remarkable revival that must 
have been! How lasting in its results! The 
same kind of a life that Paul lived and the same 
kind of preaching which he did is as effective 
and lasting in its results now as it was then. 

The church was abiding "in God the Father 
and in the Lord Jesus Christ." There was no 
wandering away from God, because they were 
abiding in him. 

The endearing name of "brethren" is applied 
to the church more than a dozen times in the 
five short chapters of this epistle. The Lord 



Food For The Soul. 1 79 

does not call sinners nor backsliders by this fam- 
ily name. It is only used in speaking of his own 
people. A church of "brethren beloved,** 
"children of light," and "abiding in the Lord 
Jesus Christ,'* was the Church of the Thessa- 
lonians. 

It was a church of brotherly love. No evil 
speaking, no fault-finding, no hatred, no malice, 
nor any such thing. Had any wrong existed in 
this church, God, through his servant Paul, 
would have severely rebuked it, as He did in 
other churches. It was a "glorious church.** 

Among its other commendable features, it is 
worthy to note that the Church of the Thessa- 
lonians was a useful church — a church unsur- 
passed perhaps in all the Christian world for its 
godliness and influence for good. The record of 
it is this: "Ye were ensamples to all that believe 
in Macedonia and Achia; also in every place 
your faith to Godward is spread abroad; so that 
we need not to speak anything.*' 

Can an equal record of faithfulness to God 
be found in any other church? 



1 80 Food For The Soul. 

III. 

The church needed to be established and per- 
fected in faith. Paul prayed "exceedingly night 
and day" that he might be able to visit them 
again and perfect that which was lacking in their 
faith. Timotheus was sent unto them that he 
might establish and comfort them concerning 
their faith. As remarkable as was the revival; 
as far-reaching as it was in its effects ; as power- 
ful as was the work of grace wrought in the 
hearts of the people, still they were not estab- 
lished nor perfected in faith. A second work of 
grace was necessary for the accomplishment of 
this special work. 

The church needed to be established "un- 
blameable in holiness." They had been con- 
verted and grown in grace for a whole year 
without backsliding, and yet the church was not 
established in holiness. 

The work of grace which wrought pardon 
and was sufficient to cause faithful living 
throughout the church, was not the completion 



Food For The Soul 181 

but the beginning of the work to be done in 
their hearts by the Holy Spirit. Another work 
of grace wrought by the Holy Spirit was neces- 
sary for their establishment in holiness. Regen- 
eration and establishment are two different 
things, and require two distinct works of grace, 
each wrought by the Holy Spirit in answer to 
the prayer of faith. 

The church needed to be sanctified wholly. 
"This is the will of God, even your sanctifica- 
tion." And Paul prayed: "The very God of 
peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God 
your who»le spirit and soul and body be preserv- 
ed blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus 
Christ." 



, THE PRAYER OF JESUS. 

"'Stand up, stand up for Jesus, 

Stand in his strength alone; 
The arm of flesh will fail you; 

Ye dare not trust your own: 
Put on the gospel armour, 

Each piece put on with prayer; 
Where duty calls, or danger, 

Be never wanting there. 

"Stand up, stand up for Jesus, 

The strife will not be long; 
This day the noise of battle, 

The next the victor's song, 
To him that overcometh, 

A crown of life shall be; 
He with the King of glory, 

Shall reign eternally." 

"/ pray not that thou shouldest take them out 
of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them 
from the evil" — St. John 17:15. 
(183) 



1 84 Food For The Soul. 

At times some of God's people become a lit- 
tle discouraged. Many efforts put forth for 
good appear almost fruitless, while wickedness 
abounds. Their hearts are made sad, and, like 
Elijah under the juniper tree, desire to be taken 
out of the world. Those who have been long 
afflicted, and parents whose children are ungodly 
are most apt to feel this way, but they are not 
the only ones. Remember the prayer of Jesus 
who is personally acquainted with every life 
just as it is. As long as the Lord permits one 
of His children to stay in this world He has a 
mission for that one to fill. "Thy will be done,'* 
not "my will be done," is the Christian's prayer. 
In the world, kept from the evil of the world, 
is the where and how of the Christian life. God 
wants this for three reasons, as follows : 

That each Christian may be a living testimony 
of his saving power. Here where wickedness 
separates men from God and where many are 
so blinded by Satan that they think there is no 
salvation for them, God has use for His people. 



Food For The Soul. 1 85 

He wants them to be living monuments of the 
fact that He can save to the uttermost, all who 
come unto Him by faith. 

That every Christian may he a living witness 
to the fact that God can £eep his people from 
the evil of the world. Here where there is so 
much backsliding, so much mixing up and ming- 
ling with the wrong, so much unfaithfulness, 
God wants every one of His children to stand, 
baptized with the Holy Ghost, a living witness 
before the worfd that God is able to "preserve 
blameless" and "keep unspotted from the 
world." 

That each Christian may be a laborer togeth- 
er with Cod helping to rescue the perishing and 
care for the dying. It is through Christians that 
the Holy Spirit reaches, convicts, and saves. 
Here, not there, God wants His people now. 

"Commit thy way unto the Lord: trust also 
in Him; and He shall bring it to pass." 



JESUS AND PETER. 

Forever here my rest shall be, 

Close to thy bleeding side; 
This all my hope, and all my plea, 

"For me the Savior died." 

My dying Savior, and my God, 

Fountain for guilt and sin, 
Sprinkle me ever with thy blood 

And cleanse and keep me clean. 

Wash me, and make me thus thine own; 

Wash me, and mine thou art; 
Wash me, but not my feet alone, 

My hands, my head, my heart. 

The atonement of thy blood apply, 

Till faith to sight improve; 
Till hope in full fruition die, 

And all my soul be love. 

—Charles Wesley. 

"// / wash thee not, thou hasi no part with 
me." — John 13:8. 

(187) 



1 88 Food For The Soul. 

Just before going to the Garden of Geth- 
semane, late on Thursday night before His cru- 
cifixion on Friday afternoon, and while with His 
apostles for the last time, Jesus taught His dis- 
ciples a practical lesson in humility. He rose 
from supper, took a basin of water and a towel 
and passed around the room washing their feet 
and drying them with the towel. The Lord of 
all made Himself the servant of all. Peter ob- 
jected — "Thou shalt never wash my feet" "If 
I wash thee not," was the Master's reply to Pe- 
ter, as He continued His work, "Thou hast no 
part with me." A word or even a look from 
Jesus was enough for Peter. "Lord, not my 
feet only, but my hands and my head," was his 
immediate reply. And Jesus washed Peter's 
feet. 

This incident contains many valuable thoughts 
and teaches many important lessons, among 
which are : 

Personal contact with Jesus necessary. One 
may see His miracles, hear His voice, and yet 



Food For The Soul. 189 

have no part with Him. The heart must be 
washed, the soul cleansed, old things must pass 
away and all things must become new. And 
this work must be wrought in the heart by Jesus 
Christ. It cannot be delegated to any other. 
"If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me." 
Personal contact. "I" "thee." Jesus and Peter. 

Yielding to Jesus necessary. At first Peter 
objected to the purposes of Jesus, but quickly 
yielded. How much that yielding meant to Pe- 
ter. He was washed and has ever since had 
part with Jesus. Herein is the secret of obtain- 
ing pardon, cleansing, sustaining grace and 
heaven — yielding to Jesus. "Lord, not my feet 
only, but also my hands and my head." 

Saving grace necessary to partnership with 
Cod. "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part 
with me." The work of salvation is the con- 
summation of two co-operative agencies — hu- 
man and divine. God makes His people co- 
workers with Him in winning souls to Jesus 
Christ. Man's part is to go, preach, testify, wit- 



190 Food For The Soul 

ness, pray, invite, live pure, be an example ; and 
God's part is to pardon, cleanse, keep and use. 
In order to have part with Jesus in His work 
of saving souls, the highest privilege ever com- 
mitted to man, our souls must first be washed 
in His precious blood. 

In order to have part with Jesus in His grace, 
His peace, His love, His power, and His resur- 
rection, and further, part with Him in the glo- 
ries and treasures of heaven, His blood must 
first be applied to our hearts. "If I wash thee 
not, thou hast no part with me." Without this 
washing we may claim to be doing many great 
things in the Lord's service, and even claim rich 
treasures in heaven, but the sentence hangs over 
us continually, "I never knew you; depart from 
Me ye that work iniquity.'* 



HUMAN AGENCY IN REVIVALS. 

"Go, labor on; spend and be spent, 
Thy joy to do the Father's will; 

It is the way the Master went; 
Should not the servant tread it still? 

"Toil on, faint not; keep watch, and pray, 
Be wise the erring soul to win; 

Go forth into the world's highway; 
Compel the wanderer to come in." 

"We are laborers together rvith God" — 1 
Cor. 3:8. 

The word revival in the evangelical sense of 
the term means an occasion when the Holy 
Spirit, sent of the Father in answer to fervent, 
effectual prayer of a spiritually awakened com- 
pany of believers or a believer, moves upon 
hearts, stirring up the indifferent, convicting sin- 
(191) 



192 Food For The Soul. 

ners, opening the eyes of the spiritually blind; 
and enables Christians to offer the prayer of 
faith, sinners to repent, penitents to believe, be- 
lievers to consecrate themselves to God, result- 
ing in conversions, reclamations and the bap- 
tism with the Holy Ghost upon believers. 

A revival is the result of two agencies work- 
ing harmoniously together, namely, human and 
Divine with which co-operation a revival is in- 
evitable, but without which one is impossible. 
The work of the Holy Spirit, the Divine agent 
in a revival, is outlined above. "No man can 
come to Me, except the Father which hath sent 
Me draw him." The Holy Spirit's place and 
work in a revival cannot be substituted by elo- 
quence, music, advertising, new methods of 
work nor anything else. "Christ is all, and in 
all." "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, 
will draw all men unto Me." 

All human effort to produce a revival with- 
out the presence and work of the Holy Spirit 
will fail. 



Food For The Soul. 193 

Being "laborers together with God," we must 
not lose sight of the fact that there is a human 
as well as a divine work necessary to be done in 
order to bring about revival conditions. The 
word must be preached, prevailing prayer must 
be offered, testimony of God's saving power 
must be given, God's preserving grace must be 
exemplified in holy living, sinners must be 
warned of the judgment and invited to Jesus 
Christ, all of which is man's part of the revival 
work, and must be done by him or there can be 
no revival. "Ye are my witnesses." "Preach 
the word." "Pray without ceasing." "By the 
space of three years I ceased not to warn every 
one night and day with tears." 

The place of the beginning of a revival is in 
the Church, God's chosen body of people on 
earth. When pastor and people get a vision of 
the worth of souls ; what it cost heaven to redeem 
the lost; what it meant to Jesus Christ in sacri- 
fice and suffering to make it possible for a soul 
to be saved, revival fire will begin to glow. As 



194 Food For The Soul 

the vision brightens, the desire for the salvation 
of the lost deepens until it becomes a longing, 
yearning, burning desire of the soul to see lost 
men converted to God. Such desire in pastor 
and people cannot be idle nor silent, but will 
manifest itself in prayers and tears and entreaties 
and faith for the lost, the genuineness and effec- 
tualness of which, under the direction of the 
Holy Spirit, cannot be denied, disputed nor 
withstood. 

All Christian workers should be soul-winners; 
that is the mission of the church. Pastor and 
people alike must be winners of souls. To 
save souls only during special services conducted 
by an evangelist is a mistake. One plants, an- 
other waters, each having his gift, but all must 
save souls. 

A revival is not only possible, but inevitable 
in every church whose pastor and people co- 
operate with God in efforts to save the lost. The 
following plan for a local church is suggestive: 

Let the church gather for prayer, consulta- 



Food For The Soul 1 95 

tion, and the outlining of plans for effective co- 
operation to win the lost to the Savior. Ap- 
point an hour of prayer daily to be observed by 
the united church. Then prepare lists of names 
of a dozen or more for every member of 
the church. Let the lists be headed by names 
of those who are nearest by family, social and 
business ties, and then daily at the hour desig- 
nated let the pastor, fathers, mothers, teachers, 
brothers, sisters, children all who have lists meet 
at the throne, on their knees, in prayer to God 
for the unsaved, pleading with Him for each 
personally by name whose names appear on the 
list. 

Also prayer circles or companies may be 
formed to good advantage among classes, such 
as young men, young ladies, business men, pro- 
fessional men, mothers, modeled after the plan 
outlined above. Neighborhood, or cottage 
prayer meetings may be made a very helpful 
feature of the revival work also. 

In all cases let the list of names be kept in the 



196 Food For The Soul 

Bible and read over daily. At the top of list 
mark plainly with blue pencil the hour set apart 
for daily prayer, and at bottom of list put a few 
such references as Matt. 1 8 : 1 9, 20 ; Matt. 7:7; 
1 John 3 :22. Make no public announcement 
of nor reference to the prayer lists. Let this part 
of the work be known among ourselves and to 
God alone. 

Let it be remembered further that no plan no 
matter how good it may be, will work itself. 
Let pastor and people feel individually that 
they are responsible before Almighty God for 
the salvation of the souls in question. 

With adequate preparation before a series of 
meetings begin, a revival is as natural as is har- 
vest after seed-time and due season. God lives 
and reigns. Any church may have a revival on 
terms of "working together with God.'* 



THE LIMITLESS PROMISE. 

I heard the voice of Jesus say, 

"Come unto me and rest; 
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down 

Thy head upon my breast!" 

I came to Jesus as I was, 

Weary, and worn, and sad: 
I found in him a resting-place, 

And he hath made me glad. 

I heard the voice of Jesus say, 

"Behold I freely give 
The living water; thirsty one, 

Stoop down, and drink, and live!" 

I came to Jesus, and I drank 

Of that life-giving stream; 
My thirst was quenched, my sou! revived, 

And now I live in him. 

I heard the voice of Jesus say, 
"I am this dark world's Light; 

Look unto me, thy morn shall rise 
And all thy day be bright!" 

(197) 



198 Food For The Soul 

I looked to Jesus, and I found 

In him my Star, my Sun; 
And in that life of light I'll walk, 

Till all my journey's done. 

— Horatius Bonar. 

"Him that cometh to me, I will in no tvise 
cast out. 9 * — John 6:37. 

The life of Jesus on earth was a literal fulfil- 
ment of the limitless promise, "Him that cometh 
to Me I will in no wise cast out/* 

Out in the desert, far away from food and 
near the close of day, a company of five thou- 
sand men, besides women and children, all of 
whom were hungry, came to Jesus. His disci- 
ples urged him to send them away while it was 
yet day so that they might have time to go and 
buy for themselves victuals, but Jesus never 
turns the hungry away. He said: "They need 
not depart." Then according to his command 
the multitude was seated, the five loaves and two 
fishes were brought to Him; He offered thanks 
and gave of the bread and fish to the disciples 



Food For The Soul. 199 

and the disciples to the multitude until all had 
eaten and were filled. No man left the table 
hungry that day. Jesus Christ fed the hungry 
multitude then, and says to us now, "Him 
that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out." 

The blind came to Jesus for sight. They sat 
in darkness and begged. Life was one long, 
dreary, dark night. No hope of light. What 
an affliction! What misery! Darkness, con- 
tinued darkness, begging, death! But sin has 
made no shadow too deep for the light of salva- 
tion to penetrate. Jesus came along, and while 
they could not see Him, somehow they felt His 
holy presence. Seeing their condition, know- 
ing their need and hearing their cries for help, 
with a word or touch Jesus opened their eyes. 
They came to Him in darkness, but went away 
in light. And again His promise, "Him that 
cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out," was 
verified. 

And there were the poor lepers, separated by 
law from home and loved ones, never to return, 



200 Food For The Soul 

doomed to spend their lives with people afflicted 
like themselves; a hopeless future; nothing to 
expect but affliction and death. But Jesus pass- 
ed that way. He always knows where needy 
sufferers are. While they were forbidden 
to touch, or even to come near to Him, they 
could cry for help and He heard their cry and 
healed them of their leprosy! And again His 
promise, His limitless promise was fulfilled. 

The woman of Syrophoenicia came to Jesus 
for the healing of her daughter, and that very 
hour her daughter was made whole. Instan- 
ces of this kind could be multiplied at length, 
but the results are always the same. Jesus never 
turns away a needy soul. He came to seek and 
to save the lost. He is an uttermost Savior. 
None are too vile, none too far gone, none too 
low for Jesus to save. "Whosoever will may 
come." "All things are ready," and "him that 
cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out." 

The sinner, the heart that has never been re- 
generated, the man who has never known the 



Food For The Soul 201 

joys of sins forgiven, but has lived in spiritual 
darkness and under condemnation since the day 
he crossed the line of accountability, is included 
in this promise. There is something better for 
him than darkness and doubt and death. The 
Giver of Life is calling him. The only one in 
God's universe able to save is calling, saying, 
"Come unto me," and with the invitation is his 
promise, "Him that cometh to Me I will in no 
wise cast out." 

The backslider, the man who has known the 
Lord in the pardon of his sins and walked with 
Him in newness of life, having sweet and soul- 
refreshing fellowship with the Holy Ghost, but 
has turned back into the world, and is now walk- 
ing in darkness, uncertainty, fear and gloom, 
with a great burden on his heart and an inde- 
scribable longing for his first love, is also includ- 
ed in this promise. Jesus loves the backslider. 
The father-heart of God is yearning to see him 
come back. Provision has been made for his 
restoration. 



202 Food For The Soul. 

The believer, the child of God, conscious of 
pardon and conscious of the presence and keep- 
ing power of the Almighty One, knowing that 
the past is under the blood, but conscious also of 
the existence of the carnal mind in the heart, is 
not overlooked nor left out of this great prom- 
ise. He may come and in holy consecration 
"present his body a living sacrifice, holy, accep- 
table unto God," and the cleansing blood of 
the Lord Jesus Christ will be applied to his 
heart, taking away the roots of bitterness and 
sanctifying him wholly. 

The tempted, the tried, and the discouraged 
also have a part in this gracious promise. They 
have not been forgotten and are not neglected. 
The Father lives and cares for them. All the 
grace, the comfort, die power they need is in 
Jesus Christ, and he is ready "to supply all 
their needs according to his riches in glory." 



CONSECRATION TO GOD. 

Take my life and let it be 
Conseccrated, Lord, to Thee; 
Take my moments and my days; 
Let them flow in ceaseless praise; 
Take my hands, and let them move 
At the impulse of thy love; 
Take my feet, and let them be 
Swift and beautiful for thee. 

Take my voice, and let me sing. 
Always, only, for my King. 
Take my lips, and let them be 
Filled with messages from Thee. 
Take my silver and my gold; 
Not a mite would I withhold. 
Take my intellect, and use 
Every power as thou shalt choose. 

Take my will, and make it thine; 
It shall be no longer mine. 
Take my heart, it is thine own, 
It shall be thy royal throne. 
Take my love; my Lord, I pour 

(203) 



204 Food For The Soul 

At thy feet its treasure-store. 
Take myself, and I will be 
Ever, only, all for Thee. 

— Frances R. Havergal. 

"And he looked up, and saw the rich men 
casting their gifts into the treasury. And he 
saw also a certain poor 'widow casting in thither 
two mites. And he said, of a truth I say unto 
you, that this poor widow hath cast in more 
than they all. For all these have of their abun- 
dance cast in unto the offerings of Cod; but she 
of her penury hath cast in all the living she 
had."— Luke 21: M. 

The time of this lesson was Tuesday of 
Passover week; the place was the Temple in 
Jerusalem, and the occasion was that of receiv- 
ing the offerings, commonly called "taking the 
collection." The money was not gathered at 
that time by means of "passing the hat." A 
chest or "treasury" was placed on the altar, the 
contributors arranged in lines and marched in 



Food For The Soul. 205 

front of the altar, each dropping his gift into the 
treasury. On this particular occasion "Jesus 
sat over against the treasury," on the platform, 
and "He looked up'* as the people came down 
the aisles to make their offerings to God. He 
saw the amount contributed, the amount re- 
tained, and understood the motive back of each 
gift. He observed carefully the rich, the poor, 
the men, the women, the old, the young as they 
approached the altar with their offerings. 

"And He saw also." This "also" gives a 
personal charm to the narrative and points out 
and emphasizes something special. There was 
nothing strange, nothing out of the ordinary in 
the "rich," nor the "all these" of the lesson, but 
there was something strikingly personal in the 
"also." "And he saw also a certain poor wid- 
ow casting in thither two mites." The extremes 
had met; the contrast was evident, and Jesus 
said: "Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor 
widow hath cast in more than they all; for all 
these have of their abundance cast in unto the 



206 Food For The Soul 

offerings of God: but she of her penury hath 
cast in all the living she had." 

The rich gave "of their abundance," prob- 
ably a tithe of their income for a stated period 
of time, feeling that they were generous and 
meeting every requirement of the law touching 
financial offerings. How different it was with 
the "also" giver who "cast in all the living that 
she had!" Her trembling hand held but little, 
but that little was all given to God. Her pos- 
sessions were few and meager, but she was not 
afraid to trust them entirely in the hand of the 
Lord. Back of the gift was a heart full of de- 
votion, rich with love, and strong in faith; her 
manner was simple and eloquent with holy fer- 
vor. The amounts that others gave or withheld 
were nothing to her. She was worshipping God 
"in spirit and in truth" and "as seeing Him who 
is invisible." It is no wonder that Jesus "look- 
ed up" when that woman approached the altar 
with her gift. 

Here is a lesson on consecration, a lesson for 



Food For The Soul 207 

every Christian who is or wants to be wholly the 
Lord's. "Repentance toward God, and faith 
toward our Lord Jesus Christ" are required of 
the sinner when he is brought into a justified 
state before God ; consecration and faith are re- 
quired of the believer when his heart is made 
pure. The sinner repents and believes for par- 
don — the believer consecrates and believes for 
purity. There is a wide difference between re- 
pentance and consecration; between surrender- 
ing to God and presenting the body a living sac- 
rifice to Him. The subject here deals with 
the latter and is beautifully illustrated by the 
lesson. 

The widow presented her offering to God. 
She did not make her offering to the church, to 
the rabbi, to the poor, nor to be seen of the rich; 
she made her offering to God. She did not 
make her offering because repairs on the temple 
were needed, nor because the church treasury 
was empty, nor because new doors to important 
mission fields were opening, nor because she 



208 Food For The Soul 

heard an eloquent and convincing appeal for 
money; she made her offering to God because 
she loved Him with all her heart and wanted to 
honor Him with all her substance. 

In making her offering to God the widow 
recognized the fact that a legal, life-binding and 
irrevocable (without sin) transaction was 
made. The two mites were no longer hers but 
God's ; their ownership had been legally trans- 
ferred by mutual consent. That which had 
been hers was the Lord's now, in His treasury, 
in His possession, ready for His use, anywhere, 
any time, for any purpose. 

Even so : the literal meaning of the term con- 
secration as applied to the Christian in the sense 
of presenting his body a living sacrifice to God, 
is simply giving to God, hands, feet, lips, eyes, 
tongue, ears, the whole body ; heart, mind, mo- 
tives, will, time, talent influence, all, every- 
thing given to God as fully and freely and bind- 
ingly as the widow's two mites were given to 
Him; not a consecration to the church nor to 



Food For The Soul 209 

service, nor a mission, nor an ism, nor a pur- 
pose, but to God; a real, conscious, living trans- 
action witnessed by angels and sealed in blood. 
We are God's, not our own, in his possession, 
for his service anywhere any time any way; to 
go or stay to rejoice or weep, to be whole or 
suffer, to be something or nothing, to live or die, 
"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done." That's 
the way the woman consecrated her money to 
God; that's the way we consecrate ourselves to 
Him. 

The widow gave all the living that she had. 
Her offering did not represent a fraction of her 
possessions, large or small, but "all the living 
that she had." The rich gave "of their abun- 
dance," a tithe, retaining the remainder of their 
possessions for the purpose of using them ac- 
cording to their own desires. 

It is to be feared that the "rich" of the les- 
son represent a class of people, probably a large 
class, who go through the form of consecration 
but do not "present their bodies," their all, to 



210 Food For The Soul. 

God. They are willing to present to Him a 
portion of their steps, a segment of their time, 
a part of their service, a small fraction of their 
hearts, but not all; they are willing to give "of 
their abundance" of motives, of talents, of 
words, of actions, retaining the remainder as 
their own to be used according to their own 
wills. "All these have of their abundance cast 
in unto the offerings of God." "No man can 
serve two masters." God cannot depend upon 
hands, or feet, or tongue, or time but partially 
consecrated to Him, for the reason, when He 
wants to use them they may be found in the 
employment of some one else. God cannot be 
a partner to a divided ownership. He doesn't 
deal in fractions but units. "Render, there- 
fore, to Caesar die things that are Caesar's, and 
to God the things that are God's." "She of her 
penury hath cast in all the living that she had." 



THE CHURCH AT SARDIS. 

"His name yields the richest perfume, 

And sweeter than music his voice; 
His presence disperses my gloom, 

And makes all within me rejoice, 
I should, were he always thus nigh, 

Have nothing to wish or to fear; 
No mortal as happy as I, 

My summer would last all the year. 

"Content with beholding his face, 

My all to his pleasure resigned, 
No changes of season or place 

Would make any change in my mind; 
While blest with a sense of his love. 

A palace a toy would appear; 
And prisons would palaces prove 

If Jesus would dwell with me there." 

And unto the angel of the church in Sardis 
write: These things sayeth he that hath the sev- 
en Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know 
(211) 



2 1 2 Food For The Soul. 

thy words, that thou hast a name that thou liv~ 
est, and art dead. 

Be watchful and strengthen the things which 
remain, that are ready to die; for I have not 
found thy works perfect before Cod. 

Remember therefore how thou hast received 
and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If there- 
fore thou shall not watch, I will come on thee as 
a thief, and thou shall not know what hour I 
will come upon thee. 

Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which 
have not defiled their garments; and they shall 
walk with me in white: for they are worthy. 
—Rev. 3:1-4. 

John, the beloved apostle, was now old and 
irrevocably devoted to God in holy consecration. 
Because of his allegiance to the Most High he 
was banished to the lonely Isle of Patmos dur- 
ing the reign of Domitian, but there he found 
companionship which was more congenial to his 
heavenly nature than the people from Whom he 



Food For The Soul. 213 

had been separated by royal decree ; the Father, 
the Son, the Holy Ghost and the angels were his 
companions, and heaven, more than Patmos, 
was his place of abode during the time of his 
banishment. Instead of seeing men, John saw 
angels; instead of seeing cities built of crumb- 
ling, decaying materials, he was permitted to 
look on that "city which hath foundation, 
whose builder and maker is God;" and instead 
of hearing earthly music, his ears were greeted 
with melodious strains from heavenly choirs as 
they sang the "song of Moses and the Lamb." 
No doubt the days of the holy apostle's banish- 
ment were among the sweetest days he ever 
spent this side of the New Jerusalem. 

While on Patmos John received messages 
from God for several different churches, the 
church at Sardis being among the number, from 
which we learn — 

Cod knows the Church. "I know thy 
works." God knew the church at Sardis as a 
body of people, and He knew the body of peo- 



214 Food For The Soul. 

pie making up the membership as individuals. 
Even so He knows us. Have we been convert- 
ed? Cleansed? Filled with the Holy Ghost? 
Are we walking with Him in newness of life 
above the world and sin? Does the fact that 
God knows us gladden or sadden our hearts? 
"I know thy works." He knows what we have 
done and what we are now doing for Him or 
against Him. Are we ready to be weighed in 
the balance of His justice? 

Cod recognized trpo classes of people in the 
church. Knowing that church at Sardis, God 
recognized in it a class of whom He said, 
"Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art 
dead," and another class, "Which have not de- 
filed their garments; and they shall walk with 
Me in white; for they are worthy. " Every one 
professing to be a Christian belongs to one or 
the other of the classes recognized in the church 
at Sardis. Are there those among us whose 
names indicate spiritual life who themselves are 
"dead in trespasses and sin?" They who have 



Food For The Soul 215 

professed conversion and have united with the 
church and have been baptized and others who 
claim to be Christians, and are not living up to 
the standard required by the Holy Scriptures, 
are of this class, spiritually dead. Heaven, 
eternal life, Jesus Christ, Christian experience 
and the new birth are no more to the spiritually 
dead than if they had never existed. 

Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art 
dead. It takes more than a name to be account- 
ed "worthy" and to be permitted to "walk with 
Him in white;" it takes an experience of salva- 
tion; our sins must be forgiven; our hearts must 
be cleansed; our garments must not be defiled. 

Cod's commands and Warnings. To the 
class of whom He said "Thou hast a name that 
thou livest, and art dead," God sent both com- 
mands and warnings. "Be watchful, and 
strengthen the things which remain, that are 
ready to die: for I have not found thy works 
perfect before God. Remember therefore how 
thou has received and heard, and hold fast, and 



216 Food For The Soul. 

repent," were His commands which were fol- 
lowed by these warnings : 

"If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will 
come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not 
know what hour I will come on thee." God is 
merciful, good and kind. Though His holy 
name has been taken in vain, and worn un- 
worthily by those whose garments are defiled by 
sin, yet He calls to them, shows them their con- 
dition, points out the danger to which they are 
exposed, beseeches them to repent and promises 
forgiveness. He wills the death of none. He 
is ready to pardon and anxious to save. A sin- 
ner in the church will be lost as quickly as a 
sinner out of the church; and a sinner in the 
church, if saved, will be saved on the same con- 
ditions as those required of a sinner outside of 
the church. 



ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST. 

"Thou hidden Source of calm repose, 
Thou all-sufficient Love divine, 

My help and refuge from my foes, 
Secure I am while thou art mine; 

And lo, from sin and grief and shame, 
I hide me, Jesus, in thy name. 

"Thy mighty name salvation is, 
And keeps my happy soul above; 

Comfort it brings, and power and peace, 
And joy and everlasting love. 

To me, with thy great name, are given, 
Pardon, and holiness, and heaven. 

"Jesus, my all in all thou art; 

My rest in toil, my ease in pain, 
The medicine of my broken heart; 

In war, my peace; in loss, my gain; 
My smile beneath the tyrant's frown 

In shame, my glory and my crown. 

"In want my plentiful supply; 

In weakness, my almighty power; 

(217) ' 



218 Food For The Soul. 

In bonds, my perfect liberty; 

My light, in Satan's darkest hour; 
In grief, my joy unspeakable; 

My life in death, my all in all." 

*7 can do all things through Christ, which 
strengtheneth me." — Eph. 4:13. 

Paul's life was a marvel; his conversion mi- 
raculous; his consecration to God complete; his 
perils on land and sea and among false breth- 
ren unsurpassed; his loyalty to truth above 
question; his desire to see men saved expressed 
in entreaties, warnings and tears night and day ; 
his death a triumphant testimony of the saving 
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Backed by such a glorious conversion, stand- 
ing in the midst of such a marvelous life, and 
doubtless expecting to enter heaven by way of 
the martyr's gate, it is refreshing to the soul to 
hear him exclaim, "I can do all things through 
Christ which strengtheneth me." 

This may be as true of us as it was of Paul. 



Food For The Soul. 219 

"God is no respecter of persons." Everything 
that the soul needs is found in Jesus Christ. Ev- 
ery duty required of the Christian may be faith- 
fully performed by the help of the Lord. God 
is not unreasonable. His commandments are 
not grievous. His yoke is not heavy. He does 
not require impossibilities, nor even that which 
is hard. The burden of God's requirements is 
heavy only when borne without His help. 



INSTANTANEOUS DELIVERANCE. 

"With tearful eyes I look around; 

Life seems a dark and stormy sea; 
Yet 'midst the gloom I hear a sound, 

A heavenly whisper, "Come to me.' " 

"Immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, 
and caught him."— .Matt. 14:31. 

The night was dark. The storm was fierce. 
The waves rolled high. Danger was every- 
where. The little ship was tossed and beaten 
by the angry billows until the apostles were 
afraid. And they were alone. Jesus had re- 
quested them "to go before Him unto the other 
side" of the sea. 

In the fourth watch of the night, or between 
the hours of three and six o'clock in the morn- 
ing, while the ship was in the midst of the sea 
and the storm at its fiercest stage of rage and 
fury, wholly unexpected, "Jesus went unto 
them, walking on the water." 

"When the disciples saw Him walking on the 
C221) 



222 Food For The Soul 

sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; 
and they cried out for fear." Jesus heard their 
cry of distress, and straightway said unto them, 
"Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid." 

Peter knowing the voice, and anxious to be 
with his Lord, asked permission to go to Him, 
which was granted, and Peter "walked on the 
water to go to Jesus." 

Reaching the side of his Lord safely, his 
heart overflowing with gratitude at the appear- 
ance of Jesus, unconscious of the imminent dan- 
ger by which he was surrounded, Peter looked 
and saw waves like mountains rolling towards 
him, became afraid, began to sink and cried 
out, "Lord, save me!" 

"Immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, 
and caught him," and they entered the ship, the 
storm ceased and they went in safety to land. 
Peter's deliverance was instantaneous. 

The voyage of life is a stormy, dangerous 
one, especially so if Jesus is not along; there is 
a mark of uncertainty on everything and an in- 



Food For The Soul. 223 

terrogation point everywhere; darkness, gloom, 
doubt, fear. Is life worth living even at its best, 
all things considered, without Jesus Christ? 

Although at times we may not see Him nor 
know where He is, the night is never too dark 
for the eye of the Master to pierce the gloom 
and behold His followers. He sees us, and He 
sees the dangers by which we are surrounded. 
He watches both, and when needed most, He 
appears. 

Jesus may appear to us at times and in ways 
so wholly unexpected that His presence will 
produce fear instead of assurance. He may 
come on a wave of poverty, a wave of tempta- 
tion, a wave of distress. That which appears 
to be danger and the very means of destruction 
may be a wave of blessing on which Jesus i$ 
coming to deliver us. 

Jesus knows our doubts and fears and dan- 
gers, and is so near that He can hear the cry of 
the heart above the thunders and crashing of 
waves of worldliness about us, and hearing, He 



224 Food For The Soul 

answers : "Call upon me in the day of trouble ; 
I will deliver thee." 

In order to get to Jesus all doubt and fear 
must be eliminated. Peter walked through 
danger, risking his life, to go to Jesus. We must 
desire Him more than we desire anything else. 
We must be willing to sacrifice or suffer more 
for Him than for anything or anyone else. He 
must be supreme in our desires and motives, re- 
gardless of cost. 

There is danger in looking around. To look 
even for a moment at the tide of worldliness 
and spiritual dearth sweeping the land, the 
floods of Sabbath desecration, profanity, covet- 
ousness and horrible crimes of every kind, we 
become discouraged and fear lest we shall not 
be able to stand. 

Eyes that are fixed on Jesus will not see dan- 
gers along the way. Stephen, although sur- 
rounded by murders looked up and saw "the 
heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing 
on the right hand of God." 



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